Romance, Art and a Hawk
by HungerDragon
Summary: Peeta Mellark is entering high school, and is looking forward to art class. But when he and the girl he's loved for years are suddenly in the same class, he's both nervous and thrilled. Now is finally his chance to get to know her, spend time with her and maybe she'll even fall in love with him. But will it be as easy as that, with Gale like a hawk watching closely from the sides?
1. She's in my Class?

**A/N: Important note everyone! I'm SO sorry for my story having disappeared yesterday, but I just found out that my account had been hacked; somebody I don't even know logged into my account and deleted all of my stories, which I'm pretty upset about, but luckily I still have all my chapters for this story saved on Microsoft word, so I'm going to hopefully get all of those back up as quickly as I can. I've now got my password changed as well.**

**Unfortunately though, I won't be able to finish this story until next summer for two reasons. One, is that I just found out that I'm going away for the rest of the summer, and by the time I get back, I will be heading back to school and will not have time to be working on this story. But please do enjoy the chapters that will be up and I promise that I will be finishing this story next summer. So I will definitely, hopefully see you all again next summer! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Hunger of Games. Everything belongs to author Suzanne Collins.**

Chapter 1: _She's _in my Class!?

Peeta Mellark made his way through the halls of Madderson High, holding a school map while occasionally glancing down at it. It was his first day of high school and so far, his day had gone fairly well. He just had one class left. His destination? Art class. He'd already been to math and biology (which weren't exactly the most thrilling and enjoyable subjects to him. Math especially. His friend Marvel would have dozed off in math if Peeta hadn't shoved him awake), but what he was downright excited for was getting the chance to create some art. Some real detailed masterpiece with every tool and supply he could think of.

He'd always had a passion for creating and using his artistic mind, but he'd never gotten to do any _real _artwork making. That's because his family, though wealthier and getting by considerably better than others, just couldn't afford it. So for years, Peeta had busied himself by decorating the cakes displayed in the window of his family's bakery. He enjoyed it, and liked inspecting the final piece, but what he wanted to do was try something other than frosting. He wanted to draw on paper and paint on canvases and have no limitations to what he could do with his hands and mind.

When he reached room C4, he walked straight in and noticed how large of a room it was. He'd gotten a quick look at the other rooms but this was by far one of the bigger ones. The class was mostly equal in both girls and guys, whereas one of the science classes had been the majority girls.

But what _really _stood out for him were the supplies. Hundreds of them. Everywhere. Wherever he looked, whether it was on tables, shelves, in cupboards or scattered about randomly, there was always something to see. There was paper of all sizes, pencils, charcoal, canvases, paints and brushes, watercolours, easels, markers, sketchbooks and all that was needed. It was all right here, ready to be used.

He took a seat closer to the back, so he could go on observing more of the materials and have an idea of what he might want to try out first. He put his bag under his desk, and sat there with his arms on the table while tapping his fingers lightly, doing so out of simple excitement. He couldn't _wait_ to get started. After having sat though an hour of algebra questions and an hour of learning the different parts of a cell, he was more than pumped to challenge himself. He wanted to form a work of art, one that he could smile about and think to himself proudly, "_I_ made this!"

He didn't have long to be lost in thought, however. As the teacher, Mr. Odair (one of the cooler teachers of Madderson High, who taught grades 10, 11 and 12 art) introduced himself and strolled into the center of the room holding an armload of papers...something caught Peeta's attention. He'd had his eye on a particularly strange but captivating picture hung up on the wall when he noticed someone stepping quietly into the room. She stood in the doorway, checked her map briefly, and then walked inside.

His eyes were off that painting instantly. The various colors and shapes no longer seemed as interesting as they had been about two seconds ago. He couldn't help watch, his mind racing in a million spots, as a girl walked about in search of a seat. She was wearing a dark green t-shirt, jeans and a pair of running shoes. Her black hair was done in a perfect braid that fell straight down her back and her gray eyes, stunning, made Peeta nearly forget what class he was in.

Most seats as she soon saw were already taken and she stood off to the side, looking and feeling rather awkward. She looked to her left and saw an empty seat next to a blond haired guy.

Peeta dropped his gaze and kept his head down, pretending to be focusing on his hands, or the table, or something. He could hear her footsteps, and see her in the corner of his eye heading towards him, and the empty seat next to him. Katniss Everdeen.

"_She's_ in my class?" he thought in shock, surprise and delight. "_I've never even gotten to talk to her before but now she's here! In my class! Oh man...I hope she won't mind sitting next to me. Just relax Mellark. Don't make her feel awkward. Be calm and friendly. Calm and friendly_."

He left his mind wander back to elementary school, when the two had been in every class, up to the sixth grade. He'd always noticed her, and wanted so badly to just walk up and say something to her...but he couldn't. His nerves wouldn't let him. Each year resulted in another failure attempt of him trying to say hi to her. Sitting there, he told himself it _would_ be different this year. He knew it was different when they were young. Saying hi to a girl at age five was one of the hardest things for a boy to achieve...but he wasn't five anymore. He was sixteen, older, more mature and could no longer sit by and do nothing.

"_For crying out loud, she's in your class, Mellark_!" he thought, realizing just how great of a situation he'd been landed in. "_It's perfect. Now you just gotta start talking_."

When she was seated and with her bag under the desk, Peeta took his chance and casually turned his head. She caught his glance, gave a small smile and turned her attention to Mr. Odair. Peeta gave a sincere smile in return, but was now struck with the question of what exactly that smile had said. Smiles, as he knew, could speak volumes. Was it a "Yes, I'm sitting beside you but don't care to talk to you," or had the smile been one of shyness and maybe even a bit of...curiosity? He could only wonder.

"Welcome everyone," Mr. Odair announced, turning and facing his class. "Great to see so many here. I can assure you this will be a fun, relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Not too much to stress about in this class. The most important thing to remember is: keep an open mind and don't be afraid to explore your imagination."

He then began handing out sheets of paper, one to each student and went on saying, "Now since it's only the first day, we'll start off with what I think is a fairly simple, but enjoyable activity. Firstly, I'd like everyone to find a partner."

At once, partners began forming. Those who knew somebody already quickly changed seats to claim their partner, where others chose at random. Peeta knew instantly who he wanted as a partner, for two reasons. One, because none of his friends were actually enrolled in art (probably not till the winter semester), and two, because it was clear that she didn't know anyone. She remained in her seat, glancing around the room rather awkwardly like most do when they can't find a partner. That's when Peeta took his chance and spoke up.

"Want to be partners?" he smiled, hoping she'd think he was friendly enough.

She gave a little smile and said, "Okay."

"What I'd like you all to create," said Mr. Odair. "Is a portait of the person you're sitting with. Don't worry. I'm not looking for perfection or talent. Far from it. Most students that first come into art are completely new. What I'm looking for with this assignment is to see where all of you stand, in terms of artistic knowledge. The goal of this class is to share as much as I can with you and hopefully have you walk out knowing more than what you first walked in with. Sound cool?"

Most nodded their head while others responded with answers of "Yeah."

"Great. You've got the full hour, so take your time. No need to rush. If anyone has any questions, I'm right up here at my desk. Remember, these aren't being graded...so have _fun_ with it!"

Peeta helped himself to one of the sheets of paper, one of the pencils and asked "You mind if I go first?"

Katniss took a paper and pencil as well and answered, "Sure. It'd probably be better if you went first anyway. I'm not good at drawing. It's not really my thing."

Peeta told her, "That's okay. At least you can just sit there a bit and do nothing, right?" He chuckled lightly, hoping to put her at ease and not make her first day in art completely suck. To his relief, she smiled back, and then turned her attention to the back of the classroom as the smile vanished.

Peeta picked up his pencil and twirled it lazily in his finger. He positioned the paper in front of him, lowered his pencil, looked up at Katniss and thought, "_Okay, Mellark. Just think of this as another cake. Another cake you're frosting. Another cake that'll go on display. The most amazing, beautiful cake you've ever done."_

Gripping the pencil between his fingers, he brought it to the paper...and began to draw. They'd been told they'd have the full class to complete it, so he had thirty minutes to create a hopefully great self-portrait of Katniss Everdeen. One of the reasons he'd been so great at frosting the cakes was that unlike his brothers, he had a much steadier hand. Like frosting the cakes in the bakery, he was able to keep a steady hand while moving his hand over the paper. With each passing minute, the face of Katniss was indeed beginning to show. As he often did with his cakes, he made sure to not forget details. He captured the fullness of her lips, the darkness of her brows and the gray in her eyes.

When he was done, he dropped his pencil and picked up the paper and took a closer look at what he'd sketched. What he'd created.

"_Not bad, Mellark_," he thought, proud of his work. "_Well...a bit more shading near the eyes could have been done, but that's okay. I just hope she likes it! Or at least doesn't think it makes her look bad. Oh boy..."_

He slid the paper over to her and asked, "What do you think? Not too bad?"

Katniss took the paper and stared at it for a long, hard moment. Peeta watched her and couldn't help feel convinced she hated it. Thought it was the worst she'd ever seen. He was pleasantly surprised when she looked back at him...and smiled.

"Not too bad?" she said, eyes once more fixed on his sketch. "Peeta, I've never seen anyone draw like that. It looks just like me. You sure you're not an expert or something?"

Peeta smiled and said, "Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment."

He gestured to the paper and pencil in front of her and told her, "Alright, your turn."

"This is gonna end bad," she muttered, putting the pencil in her hands. "Just so you know, you're probably gonna look like a stick man."

Peeta burst out laughing and said, "Aww...I'm sure you're not_ that_ bad. But if you're worried about making me look like a stick man, just make it a lot bigger than that. That way I'll look more like a person."

"That's some great advice," she said sarcastically, but with an amused laugh.

"You said I was an expert," he explained. "Well, that's my expert advice. Pretty great, eh?" He added this last part with a goofy grin, which she couldn't help shake her head at. Now Peeta had to keep himself from smiling, but that wasn't as easy as Katniss had made it seem. But she was all ready to begin sketching, when she noticed Peeta's lips quivering.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, letting out a laugh. "Okay, I'll stop."

"Everything all right back there?" Mr. Odair asked.

Peeta looked over and answered back, "Yeah, everything's cool."

"You can't keep laughing Peeta," said Katniss seriously. "I don't want to do an even worse job and you're not helping much. You gotta stop laughing so much."

"No, I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "Let's get that portrait started then, shall we?"

Peeta could tell right away that Katniss wasn't a drawer. She was unsure with a lot of her strokes and when she came to shading in parts of his face, she'd stare at the page as if thinking, "What _now_?" She did her best though and that was enough to make Peeta wonder if _she_ was just as determined to create an alright portrait of him as _he _had to make one of her. It didn't matter though. He wasn't the kind of guy who went around criticizing people's creations. Just the fact that she was trying her best was enough to make him happy.

Finally, when thirty minutes was up and class was starting to end, she dropped her pencil and slid the paper towards him. He picked it up eagerly, looked it over and told her, "I'd say that looks like me."

"Really?" she asked, surprised, and a little embarrassed. "Because it looks pretty bad to me."

He smiled and argued, "You might think so, but I don't. And whether you think it's good or not, you got my smile spot on."

She shrugged and said, "Well, _that's_ good. Maybe it's not the worst thing after all."

"No way," he said, putting his portrait next to hers. "I'd say we did pretty well. For the first class, anyway. How about we give us an A for effort?"

She nodded and said, "Okay, but if anyone deserves an A it's _you_, not me."

"We're partners, Katniss, remember?" he reminded her. "We _both_ get an A."

"Okay!" she said putting her hands up in surrender, but letting out a laugh. "We both get an A. Happy?"

"Yes."

Now that class was over and all the portraits had been put away, it was time to head home. Most students were already at their lockers and hurrying off to catch the bus. Peeta's locker was at the far back of the school, right next to the art rooms. He was just grabbing his math book and putting it in his bag when he noticed Katniss a few lockers over.

"Hey," he called to her. "Your locker's by the art rooms too?"

She shut her locker and threw her bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah," she said. "Kind of wish it was more near the front of the school though."

"Could be worse," he offered. "Better than no locker at all."

"That's true," she admitted. She then looked down at her feet, and Peeta felt like she was getting hit with some kind of wave of, what...shyness? Awkwardness? Embarrassment? He tried reading her face, but it was so much like a puzzle that he could hardly begin to guess what she was thinking.

"So how did you like class?" asked Peeta. "Art class, I mean?"

"It's okay, but art's just not my thing," said Katniss. "But I can tell it's _your_ thing. I bet you're gonna love it."

"Hey, you might too," he offered. "I could even help you out a bit if you want. We could maybe work on some projects and stuff together."

"That sounds good," said Katniss. "I _could_ use a bit of help with drawing."

"No problem," said Peeta. "You said math was your thing, right?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"I'd love to have some help with math. First topic of the year is algebra..._ugh."_

Katniss laughed at this and said, "Algebra's not that hard. Just got to practice."

"Neither is drawing," Peeta threw in, then went on repeating what she'd said, "Just got to practice."

She rolled her eyes, still laughing.

He offered her his hand and asked, "How about this: I'll help _you_ with art and you can help _me _with math. Deal?"

She took his hand and gave it a firm shake and said, "Deal."

"Awesome!" said Peeta excitedly. "Looks like we're both set then. You're getting an A in art and I'm getting an A in math."

He gave her a last friendly smile before turning to leave when she called to him, "Don't forget what Mrs. Coin said. Page 10's for homework."

"Thanks," he called back. "And don't forget what Mr. Odair said. Bring something from home to tomorrow's class."

On the way home, the only thing that Peeta could think was, "_She talked to me! Not only that, but I even got a few smiles out of her. And laughs! Maybe she wouldn't mind being friends with me after all."_


	2. Painting Together

**A/N: Hello! I just wanted to clarify something in case it wasn't completely making sense. This story takes place in Panem, with 12 Districts, but just with no Hunger Games. And in this case, the Districts are basically normal, not poor and struggling. So in a** **way, it's kind of a modern Panem with Katniss a normal teenager and not a hunter who has to provide for her family. Okay, glad I explained that, and hopefully it cleared some stuff up if anybody was confused :)**

Chapter 2: Painting Together

The following week's art class required each student to bring something from home and as Mr. Odair emphasized, it _had_ to have some kind of meaning. It didn't matter what size, color, shape or material. The important thing was not the object, or objects (he'd mentioned that if one wished to bring _more _than one object, that was fine as well) itself, but the value and significance of that object, which as he told them, "Will help you to better understand how to create a representation of it, whether you choose to make a painting of it or a sketch."

As everyone sat waiting for Mr. Odair to continue with further instructions, they took the time to glance around and see what others had brought and saw a variety of items. One girl had a stuffed bear that she'd had since she was five, its ear was missing and its brown color had almost completely faded. Another had a necklace with a small golden heart that once belonged to her great-great-grandmother. There were things like a pretty and delicate antique figurine, a beloved children's book, a set of car keys, a homemade mug, a football, and a miniature model of a car. It was interesting to glance around and see all the various things people had chosen to bring, especially because each and every person had brought something different.

Peeta was just starting to reach into his bag to pull out his item of choice, when he saw Katniss dropping something small and gold on the table. He gave it a curious look, and then instantly remembered where he'd seen it before. It was one of those things that were pretty hard not to recognize.

"That's a mockingjay, isn't it?" Peeta asked.

She nodded and said, "My dad gave it to me when I was little. We were out walking one day in the woods and he was showing me how to sing to the mockingjays when he saw something gold on the ground. He gave me the pin and told me to keep it, then made a joke saying that it might act as a lucky charm for getting the birds to sing to me. After that, they started singing to me so I guess it worked."

"_I doubt it_," thought Peeta. "_I remember hearing you sing, just like the mockingjays. No way were they singing back to you because of a lucky charm. They heard your voice and fell in love with it, just like I did...but with __**you**__."_

"Do you mind if I look at it?" he asked, then wondered if he should have asked that. This _was_ a gift she'd been given to from her father, who she'd lost in a tragic shooting. She must have guarded that pin with her life. For all he knew, she might have cherished it so dearly that she'd prefer not to have another person touching or holding it.

But she showed no sign of this, and instead held out the pin and said, "Sure."

Peeta took the tiny pin, making sure to treat it carefully and with respect as he rolled it between his fingers. It was a small golden bird that was connected to a ring that circled around it; the bird's wings were all that were attached to the enclosing loop. It was observing this golden pin that the story of the singing mockingjays came back to him. Unlike most common birds that lived in the forests, there was all but a single species that couldn't be labelled as anything_ but_ normal. As most soon discovered, they could mimic just about any sound from a child's high-pitched warbles to a man's deep tones. They could even repeat songs with multiple verses if one had the patience to sing to them. Never had anyone seen such an odd, yet interesting bird that seemed to show up out of nowhere.

"That's neat," he told her, then asked, "Want to see what I brought?"

"Something to do with art?" said Katniss.

"Somewhat," he grinned. He dug his hand into the bag, reached to the bottom and pulled out a dark-colored container. It was medium in size and looking it over, Katniss couldn't help raising a brow. Peeta could tell she was guessing at what was inside, so he put his hand over the lid and removed it with ease. From the container he revealed three cupcakes that were of three sizes – large, medium and small – and each was its own special creation. The large one was coated with chocolate frosting and topped off with round sprinkles that gave it the look of a cookie with white chocolate chips. The small one was done up to look like a strawberry pie and the medium-sized one (which stood out the most) was decorated to resemble the face of a cat.

"My favourite's the cat," he said, spreading them out in front of him. "That was the most fun one to make. Took longer than the others, but it came out alright."

He noticed Katniss pick up the cat cupcake, give it an even closer look, and then tell him, "This looks just like my cat, Buttercup. The color, his face, it just..._looks_ like him. That's crazy."

"Maybe you could bring it home and show him," laughed Peeta. "Let him be the final judge."

Katniss put the treat down, and said, "He'd like that...but then he'd just want to eat it._ Then_ he'd get sick and take it out on me. He'd probably claw my eyes out."

Peeta's eyes widened, then he chuckled and said, "Ouch. Yeah...let's scratch that then. No cupcakes for the cat."

A moment later, Mr. Odair appeared and walked around the classroom while handing out sheets of paper, as well as pencils, paints and brushes.

"So what are the meaning of the cupcakes?" asked Katniss. "Why did you pick them as your objects?"

"They remind me of home," he explained. "And the bakery. I actually wanted to bring in a giant cake, but figured it'd be easier carrying these than something _that_ big. But they mean a lot because I've been decorating cakes for years, so even though it wasn't with pencils or paints, which is what I'd always wanted, it was still a kind of art in a way. And it's fun. Definitely helped me start loving art."

Mr. Odair then returned to his desk while announcing, "Now you've all got a choice of how you'd like to approach this assignment. Depending on what you prefer, or which you enjoy more, you can choose to paint your object, or, if you're more of a drawer, you can try sketching it. Totally up to you. And I don't think I have to remind anyone about the most important rule in this class...which is to have _fun_ with what you're doing. Try and use some of the simple techniques I've been teaching over the past few days to create something grand."

"Now I just have to decide if I want to draw or paint this," said Katniss, staring down at the blank sheet of paper.

"How about you try painting?" suggested Peeta, handing her a brush. He picked up one of the pencils, twirled it in his finger and then positioned his cupcakes in front of his paper, placing the largest in the middle.

She took it, but then looked back to him, saying, "Sure, but are you painting too?"

He smiled and said, "We had a deal, remember?"

"Right," said Katniss, "Alright then, Mr. Artist. So where should I start?"

For the next fifty minutes, Peeta went back and forth from his painting to Katniss's. He showed her how to go about mixing colors to get dark or lighter versions, as well as the different kinds of paint strokes. Up till now, he'd never thought himself to be much of a multitasking kind of guy, but he felt he was doing an okay job. Though he knew most of his focus was on Katniss's work rather than his own. Not only did he want to help her like and feel more comfortable in the class, but he hoped by doing so, she'd maybe want to spend more time with him. Perhaps get to know him? Or...could it possibly go _beyond_ that? Peeta knew it was probably too early to be thinking about a relationship but he couldn't help store it in the back of his mind all the same.

"_You haven't even hung out with her yet_!" he reminded himself. "_Other than in class. Be friends with her first before thinking that far ahead, Mellark. Slow down a bit."_

After she'd gotten the basic shape of the pin done, Peeta gave it a look and said, pleased, "There ya go! You've got the outline of the object done. Now you can start filling in colors. I always keep it easy first though. Shading and details come after."

"That'll be easy," she said, cleaning her brush off. "Lots of yellow, right?"

Peeta, who was clearly amused by this, grinned and said, "Yup."

Holding her brush in one hand, she reached out with her other to grab some of the yellow paint...when she felt Peeta's hand on hers. The two had both reached for that color without noticing. She gave a small smile and a slightly embarrassed laugh and said, "Sorry. Did you need some too?"

Peeta was laughing as well. He handed her the bottle and said, "Yeah, but ladies first."

She took the paint and squeezed herself a large puddle before handing it back to Peeta. He took it and made himself a small section, but was now turning his attention back to Katniss if only for a second. He felt sure he'd imagined it, but wanted to confirm if he had or not. Turning his head and giving her a quick glance...he saw it. He'd thought he was just seeing things, but he wasn't. Katniss Everdeen was..._blushing!_ There was no mistaking the hint of red in her pale cheeks.

"_Blushing?" _he thought, trying to return his focus back on painting, but was now intrigued by what he'd seen. "_Whoa, I don't think I've ever seen her blush. Smile and laugh, yeah, but not blushing. Hmmm...suddenly this art class just got a whole lot more interesting. I wonder what's next."_

Once Katniss had applied the yellow to her mockingjay piece, she interrupted Peeta to get his opinion and advice on what next to do. He gave her painting a quick, but eager inspection and handed it back to her, smiling. So far, it was significantly better than the self-portrait she'd done of him; he could tell at a first glance she was putting more concentration into her newest assignment.

"That's coming along nicely," he commented. "See? You're not bad with art? You just need to keep at it and practice." He added with a grin, "_And_ have a great teacher."

"Yeah, but it's still pretty bad compared to yours," said Katniss, staring at Peeta's nearly finished painting in awe and amazement. "You're like an expert."

Peeta shrugged casually and said, "I've just been drawing for years. And you can be an artist to, you know. It's like what they say: practice makes perfect."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Katniss. "So I've got the color done; now how do I fill in the details?"

Peeta turned and looked behind him and saw Mr. Odair approaching them. He stood between the two, observing each of their paintings in turn. He looked to Katniss and said with a smile, "Nicely done Katniss. Seems like you've really captured the beauty of that pin."

"Thanks," was her answer. "But I had some help."

"That's perfect. Nothing better than teamwork and sharing ideas." He then gave Peeta a smile, telling him, "And Peeta. That there's lovely. And I think it's great that you're helping her out. Keep up the great work, both of you!"

He left the two and made his way to the front of the room to answer a student's question.

"There, so two people like your painting," said Peeta, putting the final touches on his work. "You're becoming quite the artist, Miss Everdeen."

Katniss shook her head and argued, "It's been a few days, Peeta. People don't become artists overnight."

"If you say so," said Peeta. "But does that mean I can't become great at math overnight?"

"I don't know," was her answer. "Depends how fast you learn."

"Bet you'll be a great artist before I become great at math," he said, holding back a smile. "I'm not that good with numbers."

"End of the year," she offered. "We'll find out then. Maybe you'll have gotten as great with math as I might have with art."

"Guess we'll find out then," he concluded.

Since Peeta was now finished up with his own painting, he spent the last fifteen minutes of class helping Katniss put the final touches on her own work. He enjoyed examining her piece and felt proud to have been able to pass down what he'd gained in artistic talent by drawing for years. In a small, but rewarding way, he felt somewhat like a teacher.

Once that was finished, Mr. Odair collected everyone's work and placed them up in one of the cupboards and told them in a week or so, he'd start putting things on display; his plan was to have hundreds of works spread out over the school by the end of the semester.

After class, as Peeta was removing his bag and placing it in his locker, he heard a familiar voice calling from behind.

"Peeta, you forgot these."

He turned around and saw Katniss holding his container of cupcakes.

"Oh, thanks," he said. She handed it to him and at once, he popped the lid off and took the cupcake she'd said looked like Buttercup out...and held it out to her.

"Here, try it," he offered.

"Don't you want to keep them?" she asked.

"Nah," he said. "I can always make more. Come on, try it. I promise you'll like it."

Katniss had to take all but a single bite and she knew right then it was hands down the sweetest, most scrumptious dessert she'd ever eaten. It had the perfect combination of sweetness, chocolate and sugary icing. When she'd devoured the last piece, she was immediately wishing for another.

As if Peeta could read her mind, he gave her the container.

"Here," he laughed, noticing how she'd had it gone in just three bites "Help yourself. You can have the container too."

"These are awesome," she said, at which he smiled at the compliment. Each praise he'd so far gotten from her – his drawings, his cupcakes and his potential to get better in math – was like getting one joyful step closer to them becoming friends.

"_Now she likes your artwork __**and **__your cupcakes! Keep it going, Mellark. Maybe now's the time to ask her if she'd like to hang out somewhere other than in art class."_

He wanted so badly to ask, but what if she only saw him as a fellow classmate? A partner? A kind of tutor to help her get a high grade? All were possibilities. There was every chance she'd not care to see him outside of art class and if that were true, once this class was over, would she vanish right out of his high school life? Maybe they'd end up in a class or two for grade eleven or twelve, but what then? Could she no longer bother to speak to him by that point? Would she have found some great, dreamy prince charming who made it impossible for her to consider letting any _other _guy into her life?

All this worrying was driving him mad. All he wanted was to ask her to hang out with him and he couldn't find the guts to do even that!

"_Come on, Mellark_!" he thought, knowing that time was ticking. She'd be all set to take off and leave him once those two cupcakes were finished and then...and then what? "_Be a man and_ _just ask her! What's the worst she'll say to you? No. Okay...__**really**__ hoping she won't say that but...you just gotta ask. So go ahead and do it."_

"H-hey, um," Peeta began nervously, instantly wishing at that second he had better control of his nerves. "I-I was just wondering if you, uh, maybe wanted to...hang out sometime? Outside of class, I mean."

She dropped the container in her bag, zippered the bag up and for a moment, locked her eyes on his. His mind was racing out of control. What was she _thinking?_ Was she feeling as nervous as him? Did she find him annoying? Weird. Boring? Or...

"Sure," she said, somewhat quietly.

Peeta had to fight to keep from breaking out in a huge smile, figuring that might weird her out a bit. So instead, he gave her a smile with just the right amount of sincerity and shyness.

"Do you want to join me for lunch?" he asked. "They're serving pizza today. I heard it's pretty good."

Katniss thought for a moment, as if debating about what to say. Peeta couldn't help wonder if deep down, she'd really rather _not_ have to hang out with him? They'd only begun to talk and briefly know each other for a week, so he could understand her reason for saying no. In her mind, they were probably seen as _almost _acquaintances.

"_But I'm friendly enough, aren't I_?" he thought, waiting for her to respond, which felt like a painful eternity for Peeta. "_And I try to be funny, so it's not like I'm a bad guy or anything. Or maybe I'm way over my head and hoping for too much from Katniss."_

That's when she gave him her answer. With a nod, she said, "That sounds good. I could go for a slice of pizza."

Peeta smiled, realizing just how much he'd over worried and panicked about her not wanting to spend time with him. She _did_ want to spend with him! Or at the very least, she didn't mind sharing her lunch hour with him and chatting for a while.

As the two made their way down the hall toward the cafeteria, someone stood leaning up against the lockers. With his eyes like a vulture, he watched them until they'd vanished out of sight, but the guy remained standing.

Right now, the only thought crossing his envious mind was, "Who the _hell _are you...and _what _are you doing with Katniss?"


	3. Lunch and Total Embarrassment

Chapter 3: Lunch and Total Embarrassment

Peeta had left his locker, having put his bag and three books away and was now on his way to the cafeteria. He wasn't alone though. Joining him for lunch was Katniss, and after having worried and fretted that she would refuse, he'd finally gotten what he wanted: a chance to spend time with her outside of art class. Of course he enjoyed the time he shared with her in class – sitting next to her and helping her with paintings and sketches – but he was thrilled that she'd accepted his invitation to come and have lunch with him.

When the two walked through the open doors and went inside, they saw it was pretty much packed. It was a fairly large-sized room and held in total about thirty tables, all of which had been taken. No surprise there; students rushed here the second they heard the last class bell go off in hopes of beating long line-ups. No one liked standing in line, especially when those at the back felt like it was moving annoyingly slow. Guys and girls were gathered in groups at tables while chatting about school, friends, and all things non-school related, laughing and eating all the while.

Katniss glanced around in search of a table but judging by how many were already in use, the odds of them getting one seemed awfully slim. Unless a few or so people finished early and got up to leave, she figured they'd probably have to find themselves a spot out in the halls.

Peeta took his spot in the line which had died down considerably in the past twenty minutes, and noticed Katniss staring about.

"Pretty crowded, huh?" he asked, then added, "Hope we can find a table."

"Doesn't look like we'll be able to," she observed. "I still don't get how it gets so packed this fast. Lunch just started. But I guess we can always sit out in the hall."

"_True_," thought Peeta. "_I don't really care where we sit anyway – here at a table or in the halls on the floor – I'd just be happy sitting with you_. _Eating here though, hopefully all the people and chatter would put her at ease and not give our lunch an awkward feel. Then again, if we sat out in the hall and found a spot to ourselves, hmmm...it'd feel more like a date than a casual lunch."_

The line was moving slowly, but surely. There were about five people ahead of him and Katniss and Peeta couldn't help think about where it would be better to eat: here, or out in the halls? Where the cafeteria was buzzing with noise and people and loads of activity, the halls definitely weren't as loud, considering most of the school weren't in the halls at this time. They were eating lunch where the majority of students liked doing so, which was in the cafeteria.

"_Maybe we should eat out in the hall_," he thought, trying to settle on the better place to spend the hour with Katniss. "_We haven't spent any time together, just the two of us. Art class doesn't count since there's always people around. She's not in my math or biology class, we take different routes going home, and we don't even share the same free together."_

That was easily what disappointed Peeta the most – not sharing the same free with Katniss. Each semester, students were granted an hour-long free period that was mainly intended for study purposes. Most spent their time either hanging out or driving down to grab a bite to eat at one of the nearest fast food restaurants. So far, Peeta had used his time wisely and had gotten loads of sketching done, as well as tackled some biology and math questions while still having time to hang with his friends. But what he wouldn't _give _for him and Katniss to share the same free.

"_But we don't_," he reminded himself. "_So just try and have a good time with her now. Just tell her you changed your mind and want to eat out in the hall. That way, you'll be more alone with her and it can feel kind of like a date."_

Two people were now ahead of them. One of them had purchased a salad, bag of chips and a can of pop, while the other was buying two chicken wraps, a bowl of pasta and a bottle of water. In about a minute he and Katniss would be ordering their lunch and would then have to look for a spot to eat, whether that was here in the cafeteria or out in the halls.

"_No, that's not what you're after," _he thought, reaching a decision. "_Just try and be friends with her and then once she knows you better, see if she'd okay with dating. One thing at a time, Mellark. Be friends with her first before thinking that far ahead. Don't want to scare her off thinking I'm crazy for a relationship or something. Just keep being funny and friendly; it's worked so far, right? And just focus on having a good time with her."_

They were now front of the line. Above them was a large menu that showed all you could purchase like salads, wraps, sandwiches, soups, various fruits, burgers, fries and what they planned on getting – pizza. There was a small selection of desserts as well: popsicles, ice cream, sundaes and frozen yogurt.

The cafeteria lady was an older, but cheery woman named Mags, who was well-liked among staff and students. She still had a great sense of humour, and people liked stopping by to have a quick chat with her before going about their day. Mr. Odair especially liked talking with her, since years ago she'd been one of his art instructors in junior high. He was now thirty, and Mags was in her late sixties, and both loved bringing up old memories and things they'd said and done years ago.

"Hi there!" said Mags, giving both Peeta and Katniss a smile. "What can I get for you?"

"We were thinking pizza," said Peeta.

"Hmm...not sure how much we got left," said Mags, then told him, "I'll go check. Just give me a second."

She went to the back where the pizza was made, took a quick look, and came back holding two slices.

"You're lucky," she chuckled. "Exactly two slices left. Hope you like pepperoni."

Peeta looked to Katniss and asked, "That okay with you?"

"Yeah, that's fine," she answered. "I like anything."

"Perfect," said Mags. "Now will that be everything?"

"And a lemonade," said Peeta. "Oh, and a bag of cookies if you wouldn't mind. Kind of craving some."

"Not at all," said Mags, then turning to Katniss, "A drink for you, miss?"

"I'll have orange juice."

Mags nodded and went to fetch everything. In a minute, the two had their pizza, drinks and bag of cookies. Peeta dug into his side pocket, took out a ten dollar bill and paid for the meal. Katniss watched, confused, before finally saying something.

"You didn't have to do that," she told him. "I can pay for my own food."

"Oh, I don't mind," he said casually, handing Katniss her pizza and drink. "I mean, you _did _help me with that huge assignment we got in class which by the way, I got a B- on!" He smiled, proud to have gotten a B in math when up till now all he'd ever gotten were discouraging C's. Like he'd always said, math wasn't his best subject. He added with a smile, "It's my way of saying thanks."

Though he and Katniss weren't in the same class for math, that didn't mean she couldn't let him borrow her notes or give him a hand with questions during art. Most times they'd finish ten or fifteen minutes early (especially since Peeta was now lending her a hand in the creativity department), so she'd take the opportunity to help him out. She'd clarify things for him, check his answers to make sure they were right and even see how well he could explain how to go about solving an equation. He was convinced if she weren't lending him a hand, he'd still by scraping by with frustrating C's.

"I guess," she said slowly, sounding slightly unsure. "But still...you didn't have to do that."

Peeta took his lunch, faced her and said with a laugh, "Don't worry about it. Tell you what? If it makes you feel any better, you can buy _me_ lunch sometime? Okay?"

She shrugged, gave a small grin and said, "Okay. Now we just gotta find somewhere to sit."

"Hey, those people are leaving," he said, pointing to the back. "We can take their table."

He strolled back to where the group of four were throwing their stuff in the trash. They then grabbed their bags and left through the side door. Peeta chose a seat in the middle and Katniss took the seat opposite him, as both placed their food down; Peeta's stomach was already growling. Yes, he was hungry and dying to eat but the excitement of sitting there with Katniss made him want to keep things slow and not think about where he'd be heading after that which was biology.

He picked up his pizza and after an eager bite, he gave a satisfied, "Mmm."

Katniss took a bite of hers, swallowed and said, "Yeah, it's pretty good."

Peeta slid the bag of cookies between them and offered, "We can have these after. We can each have two."

"Yours looked better though," she told him. "With the frosting and everything."

"Thanks," said Peeta. He then laughed and suggested, "Maybe I could teach Mags how to frost?"

Katniss chuckled and Peeta beamed at having gotten yet another laugh out of her. He loved the sound of her laugh – innocent, relaxed, peaceful – and felt like butterflies flew into his stomach every time he was lucky enough to hear it. Growing up, she'd always been a strong girl and the few times he noticed her in school, the one thing he remembered about her was her strength. It wasn't her physical strength he admired. It was her emotional strength. A young girl, she'd always been strong willed and once she was struck with her father's tragic end, she only seemed to become that much stronger. It was after the initial shock and despair that Katniss had built herself in a kind of shell and kept all her doubt, fears and emotion locked inside. After singing, hearing her laugh was hands down the most beautiful sound Peeta had heard from her.

"_I could listen to that forever_," he thought, and went on to replay it in his head. "_The sound of your voice. I'd give anything to hear you sing again. Maybe again soon, hopefully..."_

While they were eating, Katniss asked him lots of questions about him and his family's bakery, and Peeta was all too happy to give her the gist of the story. He told her how his parents had founded it ten years ago, when the two were in their early thirties. He explained that financially, even though it hadn't flourished or thrived as successfully as other bakeries, it never dampened his father's spirit. He was a man that rarely showed doubt and was always working to keep the bakery open and running. Peeta figured this wasn't exactly a fascinating story, so he went on to talk to her about everything they baked – bread, pastries, bagels, pies, cakes, brownies, cookies and various other foods.

"Me and my brothers help out too," he continued. "We help with the baking but I like frosting the cakes. That's always what I've liked doing."

He opened the bag of cookies and slid two towards her while keeping two for himself. She raised one to her mouth and took a bite as the sweet taste of chocolate hit her tongue; Peeta did likewise.

"Prim _loves_ them," Katniss told him. She smiled at the thought of her sister, and went on, "Whenever we're out, she begs me to stop by so she can look at them. We usually end up buying one too."

"She's our best customer," said Peeta and joking, added "Wish we had more customers like her. Maybe we'd do a bit better than we do now. That's why I was so excited for art class. My mother never let me buy any art supplies so I could draw at home, so the only place I could really do any of that was here – at school."

There was a long pause, till Peeta spoke up and asked casually, "So any idea what you'd like to do after high school? Any plans?"

Katniss shook her head and said, "Not really. I haven't thought about it much, honestly. You?"

"Kind of," he answered. He took a sip of his lemonade, and continued, "I _know _I want to be an artist, that's for sure. I've wanted that since I was five. I just can't picture myself doing anything but painting and drawing for the rest of my life."

"What about your family's bakery?" said Katniss.

Peeta shrugged and said, "I'd actually like to open up my own bakery someday...maybe. Hopefully I'd do well enough making a living by selling paintings that I could open one up. That'd be nice. I've been so used to helping out my parents and decorating cakes that it'd be weird just leaving that behind, you know?"

Katniss nodded in understanding and said, "Wish _I _had more of an idea of what I'd like to do. No idea at all and I've got three years left to decide."

Optimistically, Peeta threw in, ", Hey, that's long enough to get an idea. And at least you can enjoy a bit of art class while you're thinking about it."

"Yeah," said Katniss, sounding slightly indifferent. "But you're the one that's into art and all, remember? Not me. I'm just taking it because it's required. Don't think I'll be taking it next year."

"_What!_" thought Peeta, fighting to keep himself from exploding in shock. "_W-what do you mean __**not **__taking it again next year? I love having you in my class! I wouldn't be enjoying art half as much as I am if you weren't in it. Okay, maybe I'd still enjoy the class and all...but you make it __**so **__much more enjoyable."_

"Who knows?" said Peeta, and told her encouragingly, "Come next year you might like art better than you thought you would."

"Maybe," she said, not sounding convinced.

Before Peeta had time to try and sway her thinking, he saw someone familiar approaching their table and right away knew who it was – his brother Ryder. He was a year older than Peeta, in grade 11 and in Peeta's eyes, was by far one of the laziest and most annoying people to live with. On top of that, he was the true definition of a snob and saw himself better in every way than those around him. For sixteen years Peeta was forced to put up with this obnoxious slug, especially since he was the one Ryder would always take his frustration out on. Whether it was punching, shoving or kicking, Ryder took every opportunity to attack and bother his brother.

Because the two were siblings, it made sense that the two looked alike, and for the most part they did. Like Peeta, Ryder's eyes were a bright blue, his hair was blond and fell in waves over his forehead, but that was where the similarity ended. Where Peeta was of medium height, Ryder was much taller and was about six feet tall. And where Peeta was likeable, friendly and funny, Ryder was the complete opposite: unlikeable, unfriendly and about the 'unfunniest' person around.

"_Of all times for him to show up_," thought Peeta glumly. "_Of __**all **__times! Right when Katniss and I are in the middle of talking. I just hope this'll be quick."_

When his brother reached their table, Ryder gave them each a grin and then said to Peeta, "Hey bro. What's up?"

In his head, Peeta was screaming, "_Just leave! Go! Somewhere else, doesn't matter. Just please don't stick around_. _You'll ruin everything_!"

"Not much," he said, managing to keep his voice calm.

Ryder took a seat next to Peeta and started tapping his fingers on the table. Peeta, not wanting to look uncomfortable and awkward, casually looked around the cafeteria, hoping Katniss wouldn't sense his unease at being around his brother. Ryder turned his attention to Katniss, gave her a long look before breaking out into a mischievous smile.

"Hey," he said cheerily. "You're Katniss Everdeen, right?"

"Yeah," she said, dropping her gaze to the floor. Peeta wondered if she was actually feeling more uncomfortable around Ryder than he was.

"I'm Ryder. This here's my brother," he said. "I've seen you around a bit; I think one of my friends mentioned you. So you know Peeta, huh?"

"_Ryder, what are you doing?_" thought Peeta suspiciously. "_Just please keep quiet and not ruin things."_

She answered again with "yeah" and then added, "We're in the same art class."

Ryder nodded and gave Peeta a quick glance that had the slyness of a fox written all over it. Peeta was fighting not to shove the rat of his seat right now for fear that he'd say something with the full hope of humiliating and embarrassing Peeta. For Peeta unfortunately, this was exactly what Ryder's intentions were.

"Hey, want to hear a secret?" Ryder asked Katniss. She only shrugged and gave an answer of, "I guess, doesn't matter." The excitement in his brother's voice made Peeta want to puke because he knew instantly whose secret it would be – _Peeta's._

"Ryder, shouldn't you go and hang out with Woof?" Peeta asked, desperately wanting to get rid of him. "I think I heard him say he wanted to show you something."

"Nah, it's okay," said Ryder, enjoying the moment. "I wanna hang out here for a bit, if that's alright?"

"_Ryder, please! Just keep your mouth __**shut**__!" _thought Peeta, his head screaming. _Or I swear you'll regret this!_"

Ryder, however, was in no way going to keep his mouth shut. Far from it.

"Okay," he said with an amused smirk. "Well, you probably don't know much about my brother Peeta here, but there _is _something he probably hasn't told you yet so here it is: He's had the biggest, deepest crush on you since he was five years old. He'd say, over and over 'She's my one true love!' Man, he's stupid crazy about you! He talks about you all the time, sketches pictures of you, decorates cookies and puts your name on them, he even has _dreams_ about you. Every night it's the same – dreams about Katniss. That's not all of it though. Since you were kids, he's watched you walk home every day. Yeah...every day. Just thought I'd tell you since Peeta never would have."

"_There. Done. Over_," thought Peeta miserably. "_Thanks a lot, Ryder._ _Everything ruined. No way she'll talk to me now, not after hearing all that! All she'll see Peeta Mellark as now is a creeper and a stalker!" _Then, as if Ryder had shattered all his hopes of Katniss Everdeen becoming a part of his life, "_No way she'll ever talk to me again_. _She's gone_."

After having heard this, Katniss said nothing. She just sat there, staring at the table as if her thoughts of Peeta were changing...and not for the better. As embarrassed and uncomfortable as Peeta was, he couldn't blame Katniss's reaction. To suddenly go from not knowing anything about how Peeta felt about her, to now knowing all of _that_, it made sense that she'd be in shock and surprise. It was a lot to take in, especially when it was about a guy she'd only known for two, almost three weeks.

"Well, I gotta go," said Ryder. He rose to his feet, gave Peeta a pat on the back, a phony grin and told him, "See ya bro." He was gone as quickly as he'd arrived.

"_I hate you Ryder Mellark_," thought Peeta, absolutely crushed. "_I totally, utterly hate you_."

It felt like an eternity before Katniss finally decided to speak, and an even _longer_ eternity for Peeta, whose mind was in overdrive.

"Peeta," she said quietly, staring him squarely in the face. "Is everything he said..._true_?"

Peeta knew he couldn't keep his eyes locked on the table. With a great deal of effort, he lifted his head and forced himself to look Katniss in the eyes. She deserved that, but more than that she deserved the truth. Despite how frightening and painful it'd be for him, she deserved it. All of it.

"K-Katniss, listen to me," he said nervously. "I know what he said—"

"I just want you to answer the question, Peeta," she told him seriously. "Is everything Ryder said **true**?"

He couldn't keep her waiting. She wanted the truth and she had every right to know if it was true. But if only she knew how humiliated and alone he was feeling!

He let out a breath, and feeling like all the voice had been ripped out of his throat, whispered a soft, simple, "_Yes_."

There was no expression on Katniss's face. No anger, surprise, shock or confusion was showing. Peeta figured she was so stunned and unable to sort out of her thoughts, that she just couldn't form some kind of response. He remained sitting, with his head down slightly and his hands together. He looked tired, beaten...and crushed.

At this point, nothing could crush him any worse. He was quickly proven wrong. No sooner had he told her 'yes' than Katniss got out of her seat...and walked off. She didn't stop to reconsider, or even glance back at him. She just kept on going and made her way out of the cafeteria.

Peeta put his head in his hands and gave a shaky sigh. There was nothing he could possibly say to her. She'd been hit with so much information, so much about Peeta Mellark's past that she'd never been aware of. It was all now out in the open.

But the day wasn't done with Peeta. There was _another_ person who had yet to crush Peeta and it couldn't be at a worse time. He heard the heavy footsteps and saw the guy out of the corner of his eye. It was then that he slowly lifted his head to see who he now had to deal with.

Standing in front of him was a guy who hated Peeta even more right now than his own brother did – Gale Hawthorne.


	4. A Hawk's Warning

**A/N: Just a few quick things to mention. Gale is sixteen in this story and in the same grade as Katniss and Peeta, unlike in Hunger Games where he is eighteen. There is some minor swearing in this chapter, and there will be throughout the entire story as well (but not _too_ much. Just where it's needed). I also just wanted to say that Gale is going to be involved with some pretty extreme events that take place later in the story. He's obviously going to be much darker than he'd been in the books, so I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that he'll seem pretty spiteful and intense later on (but he's meant to be like that in my story). I think that's all I wanted to say :)**

Chapter 4: A Hawk's Warning

Gale Hawthorne. Best friend of Katniss. Now standing in front of Peeta staring him down with a look that made Peeta wonder if the guy thought of himself as some kind of massive giant...or saw Peeta as some tiny and worthless creature. The guy might have towered over him a good five or six inches, easily standing over six feet tall while Peeta was of medium height, there _was _something Peeta noticed about him. One glance at him and he could tell right then that the guy wasn't as built and most likely, not as physically strong as he'd become over the years. Peeta had all the time he'd spent helping out at his family's bakery to thank for that.

This didn't mean though that he'd exactly _welcome_ a fight with Gale. Despite the fact that he felt pretty sure he could take the guy, he wasn't fond of the idea of learning just how good or bad of a fighter Hawthorne was. And besides, he'd never been a violent, physical sort of guy, especially not towards other people and couldn't imagine himself getting enjoyment or pleasure out of a brawl with him. He wasn't one that just went around hurting and beating on people, even if he wasn't fond of the individual. That wasn't who he was.

What stood out most about Gale though wasn't his notably dark hair, striking features or impressive height. No, as Peeta sat there observing the guy there was only one thing that got him thinking it was something he'd always remember about him – his eyes. Like Katniss, they were a deep grey but where Katniss's eyes were a mysterious and pleasant vast sea of grey he could gladly lose himself in...Gale's were not. His were more like ominous shadows that told Peeta they weren't a place he'd_ ever_ want himself getting somehow trapped in.

For a minute, Gale simply stood there with his eyes on Peeta, as if sizing him up. Then, as if he'd gotten his answer, he took a seat opposite him where Katniss had originally been sitting. All Peeta could think right then was, "_He heard the whole thing and now's he's after me. And it's all thanks to Ryder. Ryder...next chance I get, I'm __**so**__ getting back at you for this. This time you went __**way **__too far."_

"So," said Gale casually. "You know Katniss?"

This took Peeta by surprise. He'd been expecting Gale to start off by saying something along the lines of, "Heard the whole thing. You love Katniss Everdeen and have for years and now you're trying to win her heart and steal her from me." But he hadn't. Maybe he hadn't heard a word of what Ryder had said and was instead hanging with friends and doing whatever he did every day? So then how did he know to find Peeta here?

"I saw you with her, Peeta," said Gale flatly. "By the lockers. You asked her if she'd like to hang out, spend some time with you, have some lunch, chat...remember that?"

Busted. It wasn't a shocker though that Gale had caught sight of them but it was starting to make Peeta feel like he was being...watched. _That_, he didn't like. Not that he was scared or worried at what Gale might say or do to him. It was more that it angered him thinking he and Katniss couldn't even enjoy an hour together – eat, laugh and talk a bit about themselves – without the eyes of Gale following their every move. _Peeta's_ every move.

There was only _one_ thing Peeta could think of to truly describe what Gale was – he was a **hawk.** Even if his image was nothing like the mighty creature, it was the traits and behaviour of sixteen-year-old Gale Hawthorne that resembled that of a hawk. One look into his eyes and Peeta knew instantly that Gale watched and guarded his best friend like a mother would their child. And when a mother's child is in danger of getting snatched by a lurking predator, then the fury and rage of that mother at the fear of losing her young one is brought out. Gale was like the mother and Katniss was the child and he wouldn't have her getting close to _any_ guy that crossed her path. He'd make sure of that.

"Yeah, I remember," said Peeta, answering his question. He then told him, "But we're not even close. I wouldn't even say we're really friends yet. We just talk in art."

Gale kept his eyes on him, his mind taking in what he'd said.

"Right," he said. "So you like that she's in your class?"

Peeta shrugged and said, his voice relaxed, "I guess. She's not all that into art though, so she doesn't really like the class as much as I do. She told me art's not her thing so it's not one of her favourite classes."

"Oh, yeah?" said Gale doubtingly. "So you guys don't talk much?"

"Not really," Peeta admitted.

Hearing this, Gale's mind went on repeating the same thing over and over, as if on replay, "_Doubt it."_

"_Just tell him what he wants to hear Mellark_," thought Peeta, hoping his ability with words would shine through to this hawk. "_He's not a threat if you know how to handle him. Act innocent...and non- threatening."_

Gale gave a little smirk and said, sounding boastful, "Well, she's known me for years. Seems you've known her for what, a few days? Maybe a week? But we've been friends for so long sometimes I forget just how long it's been. Funny, isn't it? She's kind of like of like my sister and I'm sort of like her brother. We'd do anything for each other. I've always been there for her...always will be."

What did he expect Peeta to say to this? _That's great Gale, love to hear that!_ So it was natural that Peeta simply sat there and listened. He never interrupted, scoffed or argued against him since that wasn't part of the plan. It was the smartest and best thing he could do to present himself as _least_ threatening as possible to his friendship with Katniss. If he wanted to keep the hawk calm and under control, then he had to play it right and use just the right words when the time came for him to speak. The key to pulling it all off was confidence and though he'd just been as humiliated as one could get by his menace brother, he wasn't giving up. No way was he crawling in a hole and admitting defeat or allowing surrender. He couldn't. He'd been through too much and whatever it took, he'd stop at _nothing_ to win Katniss back. But first he had to focus on Gale.

He nodded and said, "She talks about you a lot. She keeps saying in class how much she can't wait to see and hang out with you on free. You're pretty much all she talks about actually." He added a light chuckle at this last statement, hoping to keep up what act he had going on and _not_ have Gale become suspicious. But what kept coming back to him like a punch to the gut was the fact that she and Gale shared the same free, which meant it was guaranteed they'd be together at least one hour of every day. Yes, he and Katniss shared the same art class but that wasn't the same as a free. People did whatever they wanted on free and that meant she and Gale could talk, hang out, go out to eat and do whatever they pleased. Peeta hated to think about what _other_, unmentioned things they might be doing.

"Well, yeah, no kidding," he laughed, still boasting. "I'd be shocked if she didn't."

Peeta nodded, going along with it and keeping his face obviously calm.

"So anything else you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Peeta.

"Nah, not really," he shot back. "I didn't have much to say anyway."

"Shouldn't you be heading to class then?"

"Uh, no," said Gale quickly. "I got free next. I'll probably see if Katniss wants to drive down to The Hob, get something to eat. If not, we'll just hang here."

Peeta fought to keep from picturing it: the two sitting together, eating, chatting, laughing and having a much better time with Gale than she had been with him. Like Ryder, he just wanted Gale out of his sight so he could focus on what clearly needed fixing right now, which was his friendship with Katniss.

"Okay," said Peeta, getting to his feet. He felt he'd spent far too long sitting in this cafeteria and badly wanted out of there. "Guess I'll go then."

"Oh, one more thing, Peeta," Gale said, grabbing his arm. Peeta turned and looked at Gale, waiting for whatever it was he wanted to say.

"Yeah?"

Gale gave an amused laugh, but just as quickly the smile dropped from his face. In that moment, his eyes turned razor sharp and Peeta swore the greyness in his hawk-like eyes grew twice as dark, as if he had his prey right where he wanted it –in his clutch.

With dead seriousness, he snarled, "Just back the _**fuck**_off, Mellark." He said the word 'fuck' with an obvious hiss, as if all he wanted was to emphasize the point of his threat.

"Look," said Peeta firmly, but still keeping his cool. "I'm not after a fight with you, Gale. I'm not trying to do anything to Katniss that—"

"Shut up!" he barked, clenching his teeth. "You don't have to babble like an idiot, Mellark. I'm just giving you a warning. Back off from Katniss. That's it. Just back off...or _I'll_ step in and you'll no longer be Peeta Mellark. Got it?"

"Alright," said Peeta, putting his hands up. "Got it...back off from Katniss."

"_Sorry Gale, but there's no __**way**__ I can just back off,_" thought Peeta. "_I've loved this girl for eleven years and maybe you don't know that but I'm not standing on the sidelines anymore. I might have been silent for eleven years, but that's in the past. I __**am **__going to keep talking to Katniss and work things out with her. If you want to put a hurt on me, fine. But she means enough to me that I'm willing to put up with whatever you can throw at me."_

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm almost done with the next one, so I should have it up sometime today. Just need to do some last minute things with it and whatnot. Thanks again to everyone who is reading and thank you as always for the kind reviews. They really make my day. Until next time! :)**


	5. Need to Talk to You

Chapter 5: Need to Talk to You

Gale gave Peeta one last up-and-down look, and then smirked. "Not bad. You listen well, Bread Boy."

Peeta said nothing to this, but the voice in his head was declaring, "_Not really." _Of course he would never tell this to Gale, so without a word he turned and made his way to the entrance doors. He kept his eyes forward without any fear of glancing back, though he knew what he'd see if he did – the hawk-like eyes of Gale watching him carefully. In the sea of grey, he'd find nothing but suspicion and doubt from the guy who'd known Katniss for so many years. But at the same time, Peeta had loved her for as many years as Gale had been friends with her. There was one major difference, however. Where Gale had actually approached and spoken to her, Peeta had been silent and shy without any clue of what to say to her and because of that, it was Gale who'd grown close to her. Not him.

He had to put those thoughts aside for now though. He had one last class to get to before school was over and he was free to leave, so he went back to his locker to get his bag. He took his biology text and put it inside while removing his art and math texts. He then headed down the hall, up the stairs and was just about to head into class when he stopped himself.

"_She probably doesn't want much to do with me right now_," he thought, pulling his phone out. "_But I gotta try_."

Katniss had given him her number a week ago, and he'd given her his. They'd both done this so if one ever had a question regarding math homework or art projects, they could simply call or text the other person. But Katniss having been okay with giving him her number made Peeta think she clearly trusted him enough to have told him it. It wasn't just something you went around giving strangers and people at random. Peeta knew the two had only known each other for a short period of time, but Katniss must have felt comfortable enough to give her partner in art class her number.

But he was debating about whether or not to text her. The fact that she'd just been told some incredibly personal secrets of Peeta's past (all of which were about her), made him think she'd want some alone time. For how long, he wasn't sure. A day? A few days? A week? Longer than a week? And the more he thought about it, the more he knew he couldn't blame her. It was a lot to take in, more so because it had been announced all at once. She'd want some time to think things through, consider what Ryder had said and ultimately, reflect on the bit of time she and Peeta _had _spent together.

"_I'll just send her a quick one_," thought Peeta, his mind decided. "_Just to let her know how I feel and that I'd like to speak with her."_

He made sure to keep the text short, brief and to the point. He wrote: _Hi. I know you might not want to talk to me right now, but I'd really like to see you and talk to you about what happened at lunch. If you don't want to, I understand. But I have some things I want to say to you. Do you want to meet after class by my locker? I promise not to keep you long. Please reply if you get a chance."_

He gave it a quick re-read to make sure it didn't sound demanding or pushy. Feeling it was alright and as honest as he could make it, he hit send. The only question now was: was she going to respond? He didn't know, but all he could do was go to class, try and focus as best he could and wait and see what happened. He tucked his phone back into his pocket and checked that it was on vibrate before entering class. He usually wasn't one to text in class since he _did_ care about doing well in school and knew he had plenty of time between his free, lunch and after school for using his phone.

Ignoring his phone turned out to be not so easy. That class, Mr. Boggs was introducing the various environmental cycles which included carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Up till now, Peeta had found the class not tedious, and certainly not as dull as others had claimed it to be. But sitting there listening to Mr. Boggs go on and on as if he'd never stop...this was feeling about as dull and tedious as watching a tree grow. Worse, each student had been given four diagrams illustrating the cycles that Mr. Boggs expected to be done throughout class while he was explaining. Peeta was able to get the first two complete without feeling_ too_ distracted, but halfway through the class he was quickly zoning out. He hadn't wanted to, but suddenly the diagrams looked blurry and the voice of Mr. Boggs was sounding fuzzy and vague. All he could think about was the phone in his pocket, the text he'd sent her and if she'd already read it.

"Peeta?" came a stern voice.

Just then, he felt sure he was going insane. Staring up at him from the unfinished diagram was...Katniss. He could hear the joy and laughter in her voice as she called to him, "I don't need you Peeta. Gale's the one I want and the one I need. Just stay out of this."

"_Peeta_?" came the stern voice again, louder this time.

Peeta stared down at the image of Katniss and just shook his head in utter confusion.

"I'm happy with Gale," she said, giving him a smirk. "You're just a silly bread boy with a hopeless crush. Go find yourself another girl...if you can. Just please, _please_ back off Peeta Mellark. I don't want you."

"_**Peeta**_!"

Peeta shook his head and finally snapped out of it. Still dazed, he looked up to see his teacher staring down at him with a disapproving look that told him he wasn't impressed. He hadn't even noticed him leave the front of the room and start walking around to examine everyone's work. So much for ignoring his phone. He'd been thinking so much about the text he'd sent her and if she'd seen it yet that he was starting to daydream.

"You've still got two cycles to complete and class is almost over," Mr. Boggs said, pointing at the two blank sheets of paper on Peeta's desk. "If these aren't finished in the ten minutes that are left, they're homework for tomorrow. Is that clear?"

"Sorry," said Peeta quickly and picked up his pencil. "Yeah, I'll get on them."

"Alright then," said Mr. Boggs who turned and continued walking about the room. "And if I catch you with that phone again, Peeta, I might just have to take it."

Boggs was about the strictest teacher in the school when it came to phones, and almost always took them when he caught students texting secretly under the desk. He gave them back, of course, but not till class had finished and the class bell had rung. Texting under the table and hoping teachers wouldn't see wasn't normally something Peeta did...but this was different. Where pretty much every person in that room was texting simple, unimportant things that could wait for another time, Peeta had a highly good reason for checking his phone. Or he thought so, anyway. It was clear Mr. Boggs couldn't care one way or the other what went on in Peeta's phone. No big surprise since he hated cell phones.

Peeta knew he should get the two diagrams done and out of the way so he wouldn't have to bring them home with him...but his mind was too far away. There was a good chance that if he didn't get to speak to Katniss one on one with no fear of interruptions where the two could be alone and he could reveal everything to her...she might not want to see him again. Worse, she might even request to be dropped out of art class; it wasn't too late to drop out of a class either. She needed only one credit to graduate and that could always be taken next year, or in grade 12.

From the time he checked at the beginning of class till the till the time he was putting his things away...there was still no word from Katniss. This confirmed what he'd already guessed, but hated to have to accept. She _didn't _want to see or talk to him right now. It was all too obvious – leaving him at lunch without saying a word and ignoring his text when he knew she always kept her phone with her – she wanted to be left alone.

"_If I could just talk to you, even for a minute_," he thought, staring at the clock on the wall. "_I'd explain everything. I just need a chance to help clarify things for you. That's all." _There was exactly five minutes left of class and the hands couldn't possibly move any slower.

For those remaining few minutes, Peeta kept his eyes glued to his phone. He didn't expect to receive a text from Katniss, who was most likely chatting and laughing with someone else. Gale probably. If that were true, because the two shared the same free, there was the risk of Hawthorne seeing the text he'd sent her. And after he'd just finished warning Peeta to back the fuck off, here the guy was sending her texts asking to speak with her.

"_He'd kill me_," thought Peeta. "_But you know what? Who cares? I'm not gonna back off just because he tells me to. I need to fix things with Katniss and whether he likes it or...I'm __**going**__ to do that. No way I'm letting her go that easy. You've been hiding for too long. That's not gonna work anymore. You've wasted eleven years dreaming of the day you two would be together, Mellark. You can't waste any more time."_

Finally came the sound of the bell signalling the end of the day. Peeta slipped his phone in his pocket, grabbed his bag and hurried out of the room. As fast as he could, he flew down the flight of stairs, down the long hallway and saw the art rooms dead ahead.

When he reached his locker, he wasn't surprised. It hurt him and felt like a punch to the gut, but it still didn't come as a shock. Katniss hadn't shown up, which meant she didn't want to see or talk to him right now. He was angry, but not at her – at Ryder. His brother had truly carved a hole in the friendly, pleasant bond they'd had forming between them, and now it was damaged. Whether Peeta could _undo_ the damage his brother had done and restore the bond they'd shared just hours ago, that was the question.

He didn't stand there to give it much thought. He was tired, stressed, yet still very much determined to do whatever it took to get Katniss back to him. So after getting his books, he left his locker and sauntered down the lonely hall, heading towards the school entrance. Students by this point were already outside either waiting for the bus or heading home. He was almost at the front doors when he stopped and glanced in at the cafeteria.

It was practically empty, save for a few people. It was the two people sitting near the back that made him stop what he was doing and stare. He watched them, and frowned when he saw her pick up her phone while the guy sat with his arms crossed casually. What made him snap out of it and head for home was a sudden turn of the girl's head. With how fast he'd moved, he knew she hadn't seen him. Now he just had to make it out of there without being noticed by either one of them.

It wasn't Katniss he so much minded seeing. It was him, the one she'd been sitting with – the hawk known as Gale Hawthorne. He didn't want to have to face the grey eyes that saw him as prey. Then again, the way Gale had stared him down just earlier made Peeta consider he wasn't just seen as prey...he was also seen as a _predator._ He was a potential threat to him and Katniss's relationship and if Peeta kept up what he was doing, the hawk might just find himself without her. So in a way, he was both the role of prey and predator.

All he wanted at that moment was a good night's sleep. His first attempt at meeting with Katniss had failed. He couldn't let that beat him up, or tear him down. He had to stay strong.

If anything, he was even _more_ determined to keep trying. He'd try a _second _attempt and not let her – Katniss, the girl he loved, the one and only girl he'd loved for eleven years – fall out of his grasp. He'd come up with a plan and a way to use just the right words to fix this entire mess, as well as help sort out the many emotions running wildly through her head and more importantly – in her heart.

"Don't worry Katniss," he silently called to her. "I'll fix everything for you, I **promise**."


	6. You Need to Accept That

Chapter 6: You Need to Accept That

Katniss was sitting at the very same table she and Peeta had sat at earlier, but this time it wasn't Peeta with her. It was Gale. Ever since Peeta had sent her a text asking to meet with her, all she wanted was to try and keep her mind off it. She didn't want it to consume her thoughts completely like a massive cloud...but that's _exactly_ what it was doing. That didn't mean though that she wasn't going to try and keep busy with her friend. The two had spent their hour-long free hanging out, chatting and generally not doing a whole lot, and though Gale had requested they go for a drive and grab something to eat, Katniss just didn't seem interested.

"I don't really feel like going anywhere," she'd told him. "Let's just stay here." Gale was surprised and a little thrown off at this response, since Katniss was usually always up for a quick drive and a bite to eat. He figured something was obviously on her mind and he couldn't help think he knew exactly who it dealt with. _Peeta._

"_That little __**fucker**__," _he thought furiously. "_I swear if he tries and gets close with her, he's gonna be dead. Count on it_."

"Sure," he'd said casually. "Whatever you want."

Throughout the hour, the two had gone back and forth between chatting and texting; Gale was busy laughing over some ridiculous joke with one of his friends. She didn't find the joke overly funny and thought it was pretty childish, but kept her mouth shut. Katniss, on the other hand, hadn't been doing a whole lot of texting. She was too focused on a particular message. She'd gotten it when she was on her way back to the cafeteria to meet up with Gale and since then...she'd re-read the message at least five or six times. Each time she read over it, she hoped things would make more sense. She had no idea of what she was thinking or feeling and because of that she chose to ignore the text. Until she figured out what she wanted to do, she couldn't respond to it.

Gale sensed more than once that she was lost in thought, but though she caught his eyes watching her closely, she was silent.

"_Why don't you just show me what's on that phone?_" he thought, fighting the urge to just lean over and grab it. "_Whatever. Bet she's got that blond freak on it_ _and I __**bet **__that blond fucker's got_ _Katniss on his. Oh, you'd better be smart and back off bread boy."_

"So how's art class?" he asked her. There was ten minutes left till the end of the day, and what he wanted right then more than anything else...was answers. Or a clue of some sort.

"It's good," she said, putting her phone down. "But it's not my favourite class."

Gale nodded, and said, "Have any friends, or people to talk to?" He gave her a grin, and then added jokingly, "Or are you a little loner?"

Katniss shrugged and said, "Well, not really. But there is one guy I've talked to a bit. We're not really friends, but we talk in class and he helps me with assignments and stuff, since he loves art and all. He's crazy about it. He's kind of a tutor, I guess. Helps me out with art and I give him a hand in math."

Gale kept his eyes locked on hers and said, "Oh?" He then made sure to hide the venom in his searching voice when he asked, "What's his name?"

"Peeta Mellark."

"He a handsome fella?"

"_What_?" was all she could say, the confusion palpable in her voice.

"Just curious what you think of him," said Gale bluntly. "You think he's a looker? Prince Charming? Hottie?"

"Gale, why do even care—"

"You _know_ why I care!" he said firmly, his voice filled with passion. "Here we've been friends for so many years and then suddenly you're in class with some other guy who's probably up to no good and—

"Gale, you don't even know him!" Katniss argued, then went on in frustration, "You're always like that. You see a guy come near me and all hell breaks loose! You gotta stop that."

"I can't," he told her, fighting to keep calm and not let his anger get the best of him.

Katniss sighed, bit her lip and said, "_Yes_, you can."

"I wish you'd just stop ignoring what's right in front of you," he said, annoyed. He then took a breath, and feeling he'd calmed himself down enough, slid his hand across the table. He saw her hand flat on the table, her fingers tapping the table in a set rhythm. He hesitated for a moment, but then reached out and took her hand into his own. He knew what to expect but it still drove him crazy all the same. As she'd done so many times, she pulled her hand away.

"No, I can't," he said finally. "Katniss...you know how much I love you. It's been like that forever. Why can't you just give me a chance? Here you've known me all your life but yet you'll go and talk with some art freak in class and—"

"_**Stop**_!" she said firmly, her eyes hard as steel. "Gale, just stop. I know you're my friend but you don't have the right to go around spying on everything I do or everyone I meet. You just don't get that. If you really cared about me and were the great friend you keep saying you are...then you'd let me be!"

"You don't understand," he said, dropping his gaze and closing his eyes. "You're everything to me. I just want us to have more together. Why can't you want that too? What is about me that you just can't..._love_?"

There was a long pause.

"Gale," said Katniss softly. "I _don't_ love you, not in that way. You're an amazing friend and I love spending time with you but...I just don't feel _that _way about you. I'm sorry."

"We should be doing more though," he muttered. "Hanging out more, kissing..."

"But we're not dating, Gale!"

"But we should be!" he said, his voice now close to that of a shout. "We've known each other for years. Don't you think it's time we took it further, did more, acted more like a couple?"

"Gale, just because I've known you for years doesn't mean you can just _expect_ me to automatically fall in love with you. That doesn't happen! I know you want it to, but I just _don't_ feel like that about you. You need to accept that."

Gale was silent. Katniss could tell he was struggling to keep from shouting out and continue arguing while trying to get her to see things_ his_ way. Growing up, he was constantly expressing his anger and hatred at things and had such a hard time boggling it all up. Most times he failed and to this day he still found it hard to keep himself under control.

"Fine," he said with no emotion. "If you want to go play with little bread boy, go ahead. You go get all warm and close to a guy you barely know and leave me here...a guy whose _always_ been there for you."

"Gale, just calm down," said Katniss quietly. She reached out to take his arm, but he only pushed it away and gave her a look of such anger, sadness and hurt that Katniss could actually _feel _his emotion. She could see that he was clenching his teeth.

"I gotta go," he said and turned to leave.

Katniss debated about whether to follow him, but knew it was useless. When Gale was like this, the best and smartest thing to do was let him be and give him time to cool off, which could sometimes take a while. She knew his anger swallowed him up to the point where he was no longer in control and became something of a..._monster._

"_I just don't feel that way_," she thought, her head starting to ache. She picked up her phone and did nothing but stare at the screen as her mind went to a million different places. "_Yes, I've known him since we were kids, but I've never felt anything more than friendship. I wondered if I ever would and even now I still don't...and I don't think I ever will_. _I just wish he could understand that."_

She browsed through her texts and quickly finding what she was looking for, she opened it. She didn't care that she'd been reading it over and over in the past hour. She felt like each time she read it, her thoughts became just a little bit clearer and less fuzzy.

"_Hi. I know you might not want to talk to me right now, but I'd really like to see you and talk to you about what happened at lunch. If you don't want to, I understand. But I have some things I want to say to you. Do you want to meet after class by my locker? I promise not to keep you long. Please reply if you get a chance."_

There. She'd now officially read Peeta's text seven times and still wasn't a hundred percent sure how she felt, what she_ wanted_ to feel and what she wanted to _do._ She'd given it a lot of consideration, however, and had asked herself on and off if she should meet him. But it was the end of the day and a lot had happened earlier and all she could think about was going home and crawling into bed...so that's what she did.

If she didn't feel so tired and stressed, _would_ she have replied to Peeta's text? She wasn't entirely sure. Too many ideas and emotions were banging around in her head and with them all jumbled up together, it was impossible to identify just what exactly she was feeling. Scared? Curious? Sorry? Maybe even excited? She hadn't the slightest idea.

By the time she reached her locker, Peeta was already gone. Suddenly, as she stood there staring at his locker, she imagined him waiting here patiently for someone who wasn't going to appear. It was then that she was struck with a sense of..._disappointment_. Not in Peeta, but in herself. She knew that if he'd been promised that she would agree to meet with him, then he'd wait here all day if he had to.

"_He __**would**__, too_," she thought, turning to head down the hall. As she slowly grew farther and farther away from his locker, Peeta's image kept coming to mind. She saw the embarrassment in his eyes when his brother had spilled all his secrets and he was left humiliated. She heard the sincerity in his voice when she'd asked him if all Ryder had said was true, and Peeta had answered with a soft, genuine whisper of 'yes.' She could picture the sadness and loneliness on his face when she'd gotten out of her chair and left him, leaving him with the impression that she wanted nothing to do with Peeta Mellark anymore.

It was when she'd left the school and was nearly home that she knew why that night was going to be a long and restless one: she had to give something some serious considering.


	7. Two Ducks and a Cat

Chapter 7: Two Ducks and a Cat

The first person to greet Katniss when she got home was her twelve-year-old sister, Prim. She was always home an hour earlier than Katniss, who was usually home by at least four or a little after; the walking distance from their house to Saybrook Elementary and Madderson High were about the same. Most times her mother would just give her a simple "Hi, Katniss. How was school today?" which was exactly what she said to her today. Katniss never expected to get much more than that from her mother. Since the death of her husband, she'd been turned inside out and the strong, joyous woman her daughters had once known had vanished completely. It was like the person she'd once been was no longer alive and had been both physically and emotionally destroyed; she'd lost weight, seemed less lively and presented herself as quiet and withdrawn.

No one could argue that she was a drastically changed woman, but that didn't stop her from doing all she could for her daughters, even if every day felt truly painful without her departed husband. Above all, no matter how different she'd grown over the years; she still loved than more than anything and somehow found a way to get through the constant pain.

"Hey Little Duck," said Katniss, giving her sister a hug. Since they were kids, Katniss had always called Prim 'Little Duck' and still did to this day. The nickname had popped into her head one day when the two had walked down to the lake to do what most referred to as 'duck watching.'

While the two were sitting and staring out at the calm water and the many ducks, Katniss noticed one in particular that was far smaller than the rest. She instantly thought of Prim and told her sister, "That one kind of looks like you. How about I start calling you Little Duck?"

"Okay," she piped, then pointed out at one of the other ducks. This one — unlike the tiny one Katniss had spotted — was much larger in size and gave Prim an idea. She tugged on Katniss's arm, showed her the duck she'd seen and gave her the adorable grin Katniss so loved about her sister.

"See that one?" asked Prim. "What was it you said? Oh, yeah! That one looks kind of like you. How about I start calling _you_ Bigger Duck?"

"Sounds good," said Katniss, and laughed at the exchange. "You'll be Little Duck and I'll be Bigger Duck."

It was a memory Katniss always loved revisiting. It was one that never failed to make her laugh and smile knowing they'd gotten the names from doing something as normal as watching ducks.

"Hey Bigger Duck," said Prim with a laugh. "How was school?"

"It was good," said Katniss. "No homework, which I'm happy about. How about you?"

"Mine was good," she answered, then gave a small frown and said, "But _I_ got some homework.

"Aw, bummer," said Katniss. "What subject?"

"English," said Prim. "We have a reading log due in three days. I have to start it tonight."

"Shouldn't be a problem for you," smiled Katniss. "You're an expert with that kind of stuff."

She then started up the stairs to head to her room with Prim following behind. She wanted to put her bag away and spend however look it took to reach some kind of decision on how she felt about the text she'd gotten from Peeta and most import...what she'd been told from Ryder regarding Peeta's past. Saying it was a lot to think about was an understatement. She knew finding those feelings wasn't going to be easy and judging by how she'd been thinking all day...she might just be up half the night.

When she dropped her bag in the corner of her room and made sure to take her phone out, she walked over and jumped up on her bed. She hadn't noticed that Prim had followed her quietly up the stairs and was now standing in her doorway leaning into her room with her hands behind her back. She was a bit of a nosy and curious kid, but Katniss knew she was completely innocent and nothing of a trouble maker.

She opened the text from Peeta and was about to re-read yet again...when her little sister crawled up on the bed next to her. She leaned back, put her head on Katniss's shoulder and with a voice filled with interest, asked, "Who's_ that_ from?"

Katniss shut her phone and gave Prim a stern look, but then burst out laughing.

"No one," she said, failing to hold back a smile. Prim was too funny and amusing to stay mad at for long. She was one of those little sisters that were just about impossible to get angry at, let alone_ stay_ angry at.

"Aww, please?" Prim pleaded, giving Katniss the 'puppy eyes' she knew her sister couldn't resist.

Katniss rolled her eyes, smiled and said playfully, "Oh, fine! It's from a guy in my art class."

"What's his name?" she asked.

"Peeta Mellark."

"That sounds familiar," she said, repeating the name out loud. Then her face lit up when it finally hit her. "Now I remember! He's the boy from the bakery we always go to, isn't it? The one who decorates all those pretty cakes?"

"Yeah," said Katniss. "That's him."

"I bet his paintings are really good," said Prim. "He does such a good job doing the cakes. His paintings are probably just as good!"

Katniss thought back to the first day of school when she'd first met Peeta in art class. It was the day they'd been assigned to complete portraits of another person and the incredible piece he'd created of her was still vividly fresh in her mind. She also recalled the day they'd been asked to bring in an object from home to paint or sketch, and Peeta had brought in three beautifully decorated cupcakes. She could still remember them so well: the one that looked like apple pie, the one that looked like a chocolate chip cookie and the one she loved best which was the one that looked like Buttercup.

"They are," she said, losing herself in her thoughts. "He's...he's _**amazing**_, really." Her mind seemed to drift off a million miles away and her unblinking eyes stared off into space. A smile was slowly starting to form on her lips.

Prim watched her sister curiously and then giggled.

"Do you_ like_ him?"

Katniss shot her sister a look of shock and then reached out and began tickling her. Katniss knew just where Prim hated to be tickled which was right in her sides.

"That's enough questions, Little Duck! Shouldn't you be doing that reading log?"

Prim got down from the bed and gave Katniss a playful grin.

"I'm going to start it right now. I just like playing with you, that's all."

"Oh, I know that," said Katniss with a knowing chuckle.

Prim then gave one final grin and said, "But it _does_ look like you like him, Katniss. The way you said, 'He's _amazing_ really,' and then you had this _**smile**_ that looked like you —"

"Okay, Prim, okay!" said Katniss, waving her off dismissively with her hand. "You've made your point. Now can you please go get started on that reading log so I can...do my own homework."

"I thought you said you didn't have any?" asked Prim, confused.

"I don't," Katniss admitted. "But I have things I need to..._think_ about."

"Okay," said Prim. "See you in the morning, Katniss." As she made her way down the hall towards her own room at the far end, she called back sincerely, "And good luck your homework."

"Night, Prim," Katniss called to her, then added, "And thanks."

Less than five minutes after Prim had left, Katniss realized she'd just been joined by someone _else._ She looked down to the foot of her bed to see him – Buttercup. She laughed and thought back to Peeta's cupcake that matched the cat that was Buttercup so perfectly. Everything from his muddy yellow coat, mashed-in nose, half of one ear missing and eyes the color of rotting squash had been effortlessly brought to life with the simple, yet detailed creation of Peeta's treat.

"Here to help me with some homework?" she asked him.

Buttercup turned his head and gave Katniss a hiss that sounded more like a howling shriek. It was a hiss, like the hundred others she'd gotten from him that she was all too familiar with. She wasn't fond of him and he was even _less_ fond of her. That had been their relationship since they'd met when Prim first brought him home. Katniss glared at him for a moment before returning to her phone.

She browsed through her photos and came across one that she wanted to show him. She leaned over and the second she put the phone in Buttercup's face and he saw the image of the cupcake that had been made in his honour...he started purring.

"Of course _you'd_ like that," said Katniss. "Pretty amazing, isn't it? Looks just like you."

By this point, the cat wasn't paying any interest to Katniss. His eyes were glued to the screen and the displayed cupcake.

"Want to see who made that?" she asked, starting to search again through the different pictures on her phone. She removed the phone from Buttercup's face – who instantly stopped purring at having his picture taken from him – while she continued looking. She finally found the one she was looking for and stopped. She placed the phone back in front of him and his reaction to this picture compared to the last was far more..._interesting._

The image Katniss had shown him was one of Peeta and it was one she'd taken just a few days ago in art class. He was sitting where he always sat, at his spot in the back of the room where all the supplies and materials were held. He was looking into the camera with the friendly and sincere smile Katniss had become so familiar with her over the past few weeks.

When Buttercup's eyes caught sight of Peeta Mellark, he didn't begin purring – he began _meowing._ His meow was rather throaty, but it couldn't be mistaken for anything but a meow. He just sat flicking his tail contentedly from side to side and meowing at the picture of Peeta. Katniss watched him curiously, and a little puzzled at why his reaction would be one of such..._excitement._

"What?" she asked him. "You like the picture?"

Buttercup's response was to just keep meowing.

"So you like Peeta Mellark then, huh?"

The cat didn't stop his consistent meowing, nor did he turn his head to even give her so much as a quick glance.

"You don't like him more than _me _though, right? _I'm_ your favourite, aren't I?"

Buttercup didn't like that at all_._ He stopped his meowing at once and switched over to hissing and growling at Katniss as if she'd just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Fine, fine," said Katniss, giving up. "I get it. You like him more. Okay, so Peeta's better than me. I guess that makes sense...he _is_ a **good** guy."

The cat went silent and locked his eyes on Katniss, as if she were _finally_ starting to say what he wanted her to. She couldn't make out the reason for his odd and strange behaviour and figured it was just Buttercup being Buttercup. The only person who ever really understood why he did things was the one who loved him the most – and that was Prim.

Katniss returned her attention to her phone. She stared at the photo of Peeta and without even realizing it, kept her eyes on him for about five minutes. For those five minutes – without even knowing it – she'd been transported back to the art room, the place where she'd first met him. She wondered if she and him hadn't ended up in the same class together, if she ever would have met him at all? Would she ever have talked to him or even said hi?

When she shook herself together, she left the photo and then went to browse through her various texts. She found the one she was looking for and like before, went on re-reading it. She'd now read the message so many times that she had the whole thing memorized. As she sat there, focusing on the text and thinking of Peeta, it was like his smiling face hadn't gone anywhere. It was _still _there and it was after she'd read through his message a few more times that she found herself more puzzled and unsure of herself than she had been that entire day.

She kept her eyes on his face and beaming smile. Wanting more than ever to find the answers that would tell her how she felt about all this, she thought tiredly, "What do I _do?"_

The longer she went on staring at his smile, the more it felt like he was trying to reach out to her. It felt like he wanted so badly to help her find the answers she was searching for and let her know that he _was _there.

His voice, both calming and comforting, whispered, "_I'm here, Katniss. I'm right here. I promise...I'll __**always**__ be here for you."_


	8. Secrets and Baseball Cards

Chapter 8: Secrets and Baseball Cards

When Peeta arrived home, the first thing he did was dig out the two diagrams he hadn't gotten around to finishing in class and take them up to his room. He wanted to get them done and out of the way before supper, and because he felt so tired from that long day, he doubted he'd end up finishing them if he left them till later. He felt it was better to just come home, get the homework done and then focus his thoughts on what he'd been wondering about all day – Katniss.

Luckily, now that Peeta was a bit more focused than he had been in class where all he could think about was his phone, he was able to work more quickly. He used his textbook to skim the pages and find details and pictures that helped him to fully label the two uncompleted cycles. It took him no longer than ten minutes to get both done. Once they were fastened back into his binder, he took his bag and put it in his closet where he always did when he got home.

Now he had about an hour till supper. He had a full sixty minutes to sit back and let his mind wander as he tried to figure out what Katniss might be thinking. Was she just as lost and puzzled as he was? Or did she just want to avoid him completely? He desperately wished he knew.

_That's_ when he remembered something. In that split second it was all coming back to him. He had someone else he also had to concern himself with, and this guy was the one responsible for creating this whole mess because of his big obnoxious mouth. Peeta hadn't run into him after what happened at lunch and he knew that was a good thing. But he was home now and he wasn't going to let this go without first saying something to the rat.

He left his room and walked down the hall towards his brother's. When he reached the door, he stood there for a moment and listened. Of course his brother was listening to music and was no doubt probably destroying his ear drums while he was at it. It was always the same routine with this guy: get up, go to school and not pay attention, come home and avoid doing homework like the plague, tease his younger brother a bit and then head to bed like the lazy creature he was. It was a wonder that the guy had made it to the eleventh grade at all and Peeta figured if he kept acting like this, there was a good chance he'd never make it to the twelfth grade, let alone graduate from high school. At least Jordix – Peeta's older brother – had completed high school and was now working full time in the bakery while helping his parents.

Peeta knocked on his brother's door. When he got no response, he knocked louder and shouted, "Open up! I know you're in there."

From inside his room, Ryder took off his headphones and gave an annoyed growl.

"Go away!" he snarled. "Go do your homework or something and quit bothering me."

"I'm already_ done_ my homework," said Peeta firmly, still knocking loudly. "Now let me in, or I'll just kick it open myself. And you know I can do that."

Ryder sighed in frustration and crawled off his bed. He got to his feet, yanked the door open and just as quickly made his way back onto his bed. He shut his laptop, put the headphones on top and sat down with his arms crossed, as if wanting to get this whole dilemma over with as quick as possible. He didn't even give Peeta so much as a glance. It was like he thought of his little brother as nothing but a fly on the wall.

"So," Peeta began, taking a seat at the end of Ryder's bed. "Happy with what you achieved today?"

Ryder laughed and said, "Hell yeah. Nothin' better than seeing my wuss of a brother squirm. I have to say, I definitely outdid myself with that one."

Peeta watched Ryder with no expression. He couldn't understand how the guy got such pleasure and amusement from humiliating a brother who'd never done anything to deserve it. Growing up, Peeta was always the most decent, humble child which unfortunately made him such an easy victim for his two brothers to have fun tormenting.

"Man, did you see her face?" said Ryder, enjoying the memory. "And when I told her you watched her going home every day, it was like _holy_ _**shit**_!"

There was a brief pause, before Peeta said flatly, "Do you even know much I—"

"What? Love her?" scoffed Ryder. "Well, duh! The whole _fuckin_' world knows Peeta! You've only talked about her a gazillion times in the past ten years!"

Peeta said nothing to this. He lowered his gaze to the floor and instantly started thinking about Katniss. He wished he had better control of his mind, but when his head went to another place and that place just happened to have Katniss there – he was a goner.

"Too bad though," Ryder went on with mock sympathy. "That you'll _never_ get to do all those things I bet you've _**dreamed**_ of doing to Everdeen. Poor old Lover Boy."

Peeta turned his head and gave Ryder a confused look. All he could think was, "_What are you talking about?_"

Ryder grabbed one of his pillows, gave Peeta a teasing smirk and shoved the pillow into his face as he began fondling and running his hands along the soft material. He made loud kissing noises as he continued to caress the pillow as one would to a person.

"_Katniss_," he whispered between kisses. "Uhh...so good."

Peeta gave Ryder a disgusted look and ordered, "_Stop_."

With his eyes closed, Ryder then began letting out satisfied moans as he murmured, "_**Oh**_, _Katniss!_ Oh, _fuck_, baby!"

Peeta had had enough. He reached over and snatched the wet pillow from his childish brother while throwing it across the room where it landed on the floor. He shot Ryder an irritated look that said he was tired of his brother's ridiculous behaviour.

"When are you gonna learn to _grow up_?" asked Peeta seriously, not letting his anger erupt. "You think it's funny going around teasing and making a fool out of me. How would you like it if I did that to _you_, huh? How would you like that?"

"Ah, but you wouldn't," sneered Ryder. "You're too good to sink to that level; you're too _**perfect**_."

Peeta wanted to argue and convince Ryder he was wrong, but his brother was right. Peeta wasn't the sort of person that went around getting revenge and doing all he could to make one's life miserable.

"I'm gettin' some brownies," said Ryder. He jumped off his bed, then stopped at the doorway and looked back at Peeta and said, "Oh, you want some too? Go get them yourself then loser."

Ryder walked out the room and hurried his hungry self downstairs to the kitchen where he'd find the freshly-made brownies. Peeta's mind wasn't on food, though. He was so furious at his brother that he sat on the end of the bed for a solid minute before he finally snapped out of it. However, he wasn't angry to the point where he'd land a punch in his brother's face, no matter how much he despised and hated the weasel. All he wanted was to find a way to get back at him and let him know just how seriously he'd upset Peeta by revealing to Katniss all the secrets of his love-sick brother.

Then he saw it. It was so simple and had been staring him in the face ever since he stepped foot in Ryder's room; he was surprised he hadn't thought of it sooner. Resting on his bedside dresser was a small tin can that Peeta knew exactly what was used for. Ryder was a huge baseball fan and had been so since he was a kid and like so many other fans, was an avid collector of baseball cards. But this box only held his most valued and special cards. All the other ones – the less valued and special ones – were tucked away somewhere on a shelf in his mess of a closet.

Peeta took hold of the small box and placed it on Ryder's bed. He opened the lid and dropped it next to the box and then looked inside to see six different cards – six _special _cards. He could just picture the look of sheer horror on Ryder's face if anything should ever happen to his beloved cards. It would mirror the sheer horror in Peeta's head as he was forced to sit and listen to his big-mouth brother reveal everything about Peeta's past to the girl he cared so much about.

"_You're not getting away that easy, Ryder_," thought Peeta, who reached in and picked up one of the cards. "_You gave me the most embarrassing time of my life today. What goes around comes around and Ryder...it's come right back to __**you**_."

As he held the card in his hand, he let his mind drift back to what felt like a lifetime ago, but was really only a few hours ago during lunch. He recalled the first secret Ryder had told Katniss and as it returned to his mind, it was like the whole event was repeating itself.

He could hear Ryder's voice saying, "_He's had the biggest, deepest crush on you since he was five years old. He'd say over and over, 'She's my one true love!' Man, he's stupid crazy about you!_"

_**R-i-i-i-i-p! **_One baseball card out of six was gone.

The voice went on, "_He talks about you all the time!_" No sooner had the voice spoken than card number two was ripped to pieces.

Then came the next secret as the voice exclaimed, _"Sketches pictures of you!_" A third card was leaving the pile to meet the same fate as the others.

The fourth secret and a fourth card soon clashed as the voice continued, "_Decorates cookies and puts your name on them!_" This card had now joined the other three.

The amusement in the voice was all too familiar as it declared, "_He even has dreams about you! Every night it's the same – dreams about Katniss._" With the fifth secret came the fifth card, which was torn and ripped into worthless pieces. All but one untouched card remained in the now lonely box.

Now came the sixth and final secret, and the voice that said, "_That's not all of it though. Since you were kids, he's watched you walk home every day. Yeah...every day."_ Then came Ryder's final statement as he explained, "_Just thought I'd tell you since Peeta never would have_." But by this point, the final card had been reduced to nothing but shreds.

In less than a minute Peeta had managed to tear up six cards and Ryder hadn't even returned from downstairs yet. Peeta knew the guy too well and figured he was probably rummaging through the kitchen cupboards in hopes of snatching more than just a couple of brownies.

It had been about five minutes when Ryder came back. He strolled into his room while a huge smile carrying a plate filled with brownies, chips and a monster-size piece of chocolate cake. Peeta's eyes widened, but it came as no surprise to see such a feast. In all the years Peeta had known Ryder, he never recalled ever having seen the guy pick up an apple or _anything _healthy for that matter. Where most people's eating habits included fruits and vegetables, Ryder's was just the opposite. All he cared about was junk, junk and more junk. It had been like that for seventeen years.

He put the plate on his bedside dresser and then leaped up onto his bed where he leaned over and helped himself to a brownie. He gave Peeta a sneer before taking a huge bite, but Peeta's only reaction was to stare at him calmly. He then held out Ryder's tin box and dropped it next to him.

"You been looking at my cards?" he asked suspiciously.

"Maybe," said Peeta with a shrug. "Why don't you open it and see?"

Ryder – who was obviously annoyed, wanting only to worry about stuffing his face with sweets – rolled his eyes and took the box. He opened up the lid and when his eyes saw what was at the bottom he clenched his teeth.

"They're gone," he said, giving Peeta an irritiated look. "Where'd you put 'em?"

Peeta gave an innocent, yet slightly mischievous smile as he pulled his hand out from behind his back to reveal the remains of the six cards resting in the palm of his hand. Ryder's mouth dropped and his eyes widened as he let out a shocked, "_What?_"

The shock immediately turned to anger as he snarled, "You _**fuckin' asshole!**_" He then got up and grabbed hold of Peeta as he slammed him into the wall, putting his face so close to his brother's that their noses were almost touching.

"You fuckin' ruined them!" he seethed, holding Peeta in place.

Peeta remained calm and in control as he argued, "I did what I did because of what _you_ did to _**me**_! I don't care if you thought it was funny; you completely humiliated me and I don't even know if I'll be able to fix this. It's your fault that I might never get her to like me and trust me."

"You're pathetic," scoffed Ryder. "When are you gonna smarten up and realize she's_ not_ into you!"

Peeta glared at his brother, rolling the words around in his head. He then struggled to break free of his grasp and after a moment of doing so – he'd shoved him away. Peeta was done with trying to get through to this creep. Ryder hadn't understood his brother in the last sixteen years and by Peeta's calculations, he never would.

But Ryder wasn't finished yet. He gave Peeta one last shove out of his room as he closed the door with a deafening **SLAM!** He then got onto his bed and went back to listening to music and using his laptop while devouring one treat after another.

Peeta remained standing in front of the door as he called, "If you ever do something like that again – what you did today at lunch with Katniss and I – mark my words I'll just find other things of yours to ruin. So if you don't want that to happen then leave _both_ Katniss and I alone! You leave us alone and I'll leave your stuff alone, agreed?"

"Whatever," Ryder snapped. "Just stay the hell away from my room!"

"_Gladly_," thought Peeta, as he turned to head down the hall. "_If you'll leave us alone_." He'd barely moved five steps from Ryder's door before he heard a voice call, "Peeta?"

He turned and saw the only person in his family who he was ever glad to see, talk to or spend time with – his father. The man was an older version of his son with the same blond hair and bright blue eyes. But most importantly, his traits and features lived on so evidently through his son, that anyone might mistake them for being the same person, just broken up into an older and younger version. Like his father, Peeta was kind, funny, humble and as good of a guy one could ever hope to meet. He'd definitely gotten the majority of his genetic makeup from his father, while his two brothers ended up cold, harsh and demanding like their mother. Hardly a piece of their father could be seen in either one of them.

"Hi, Dad," said Peeta, stopping to face him.

"Sounded like there was some arguing going on up here," he said. He then asked his son more softly, "You and Ryder, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," said Peeta, giving a tired sigh. "He was...being a pain again. He did something today that was pretty much the worst thing I could have feared he'd ever do. I still can't stop thinking about it. It...it had to do with _**Katniss**_."

His father had only to look at Peeta for a second to realize whatever it was Ryder had done, it was clear that it was _still_ fresh in Peeta's mind. He knew what his son would seek from him – reassurance and words of comfort – and as always, he'd make sure that his son received this.

"We've still got some time before your mother finishes up with supper," he explained, making his way toward the stairs. Peeta watched him quietly; he was still bouncing Ryder's words around in his mind and was having a difficult time silencing them. "How about you and I go on downstairs, have ourselves a talk and you can tell me about whatever it is that's bothering you. I might just have some words of advice for you, Peeta."

Peeta knew he might have been unfortunate to have such a spiteful mother and two loathsome slugs for brothers, but he was about the _luckiest _person around to have such a patient, understanding and loving father who was always there when he needed him.

"_Thanks Dad_," thought Peeta, following quietly behind. "_I'd like that_."


	9. A Father's Advice

Chapter 9: A Father's Advice

When Peeta reached the bottom of the stairs and looked into the living room, he saw his father was already taking a seat in one of the sofas. Though their sitting room wasn't overly big, both Peeta and his father agreed it was certainly cozy and comfortable enough. His mother and two brothers, on the other hand, would continually grumble and complain, "It's not big enough!" or, "We need more furniture!" and as his mother often made a point of emphasizing, "It's no wonder we don't invite anyone over."

Her husband disagreed though. He argued the house was plenty big enough but his wife just never seemed to accept this. She would constantly be at his throat snapping, "Well, maybe if we _earned_ more, we could afford to buy more and actually give ourselves a bigger place." She always put the blame on her husband, as if whatever anger and negativity she was dealing with it was all because of him. All the reasons for them not doing well or proving as successful as other bakeries were shoved right onto his shoulders. Since he was little, Peeta couldn't help feel confused and baffled as to why his amazing father had settled for such an unpleasant woman when he deserved so much better.

When he sat down next to his father, his mind went back to all the times the two would sit down and talk about everything and anything. When he was younger, Peeta would come home from school and if he was upset, his father was right there to help cheer him up. He was there to help him with homework and whenever his son asked, lent him a hand in studying for tests. It didn't matter the time or day of the week; if Peeta needed his father, he was there.

He was happy that the two had maintained a close relationship over the past few years. Where most teens and their fathers might grow farther apart, the bond between Peeta and his dad had remained solid, strong and unbreakable. It also relieved him because he couldn't imagine where he'd be or what he'd do without the gentle guidance of his father in his life; just the thought of his father suddenly no longer in his life frightened him.

Peeta looked at his father as if trying to find some strength or clarity that might help make his predicament feel and seem less..._complicated._ He didn't even know where to begin with explaining what had happened at lunch, let alone what Katniss might be feeling about it all.

His father gave a warm smile and asked, "How about I make us some hot chocolate?"

Peeta nodded and feeling like his mind was relaxing slightly, said, "Okay."

While his father was in the kitchen quickly getting two mugs made, Peeta couldn't help overhearing the annoyed voice of his mother barking to her husband, "Seriously now? What's that boy troubled about _now_? Honestly, will he ever start acting like a _**man**_?"

His father – who wasn't bothered by his wife's constant outbursts – kept his voice calm as he told her, "Just let me handle it, dear. You get supper started; I'll go talk to Peeta."

"And what'll you think that'll do?" she snapped, "Smarten him up? Why don't you try and talk some sense into him and have him man up and start acting more like a _Mellark_? I'm not gonna have some son of mine moping around because of whatever petty problems he's having at school."

"_But I __**am**__ a Mellark_," thought Peeta, stung and more than a bit hurt by his mother's harsh comment. "I always help out whenever it's asked; always do my best when decorating the cakes and yet you still treat Ryder better than me! I know Jordix is helping you full-time, so I suppose he's more helpful and all...but yet you still treat Ryder like he can do no wrong. You know how lazy and selfish he is and yet you still treat me like I'm a _runt _in this family..._**why**_?"

Before Peeta had time to sit thinking about it much longer, he saw his father entering the room holding two mugs of hot chocolate – one for himself, and one for his son. Peeta made sure to instantly wipe the look of hurt off his face in fear that his father might insist they talk more about he and his mother as opposed to what he was truly concerned about, which was Katniss. Besides, he knew the odds of his mother suddenly changing into someone as amazing as his father were about the same as him sprouting wings and flying. He knew in his heart that it just wasn't going to happen. He _wished_ he had a heartfelt relationship with his mother and that the two could get along, enjoy one another's company and love each other like mothers and sons should, but he couldn't waste his time wishing for the impossible. He was just grateful waking up every day and knowing he had a father who loved him and was_ always_ there for him.

He was thankful to have a dad who didn't mind giving advice to their son or talking to them when they simply needed listening ears. And though he knew his father had always hoped for a daughter as well as a son, he didn't doubt for a second the love he had for him. Two of his sons were almost constantly cursing and acting immaturely. But Peeta was nothing like this and in his father's eyes there wasn't a finer boy in the world.

When both mugs were placed on the table and his father had taken a seat, Peeta reached out and brought the warm drink up to his face. The steamy goodness of hot chocolate never failed to give him shivers as the delicious smell warmed him from head to toe.

"_Doesn't matter what time of year it is_," thought Peeta, bringing it close to his nose. "_Summer, winter; this stuff never gets old."_ He then thought of Katniss, thinking, "_I wonder if she likes hot chocolate?_"

His father took a sip of his own mug, before setting it back on the table and returning his attention to his son.

"Must have been something pretty awful that Ryder did, huh?" he asked him. "That kid's always stirring up trouble; I just wish he'd stop putting so much of it on you."

For a moment, Peeta allowed himself to drift back to earlier that day at lunch when everything had come crashing down, all because of his jerk of a brother.

"Yeah, it was," he said quietly, the embarrassment flooding back into his thoughts. "It just felt like he...ruined everything. I don't really know what to think, though. I'm pretty confused at this point but he definitely said things I _really_ wished he hadn't."

His father nodded in understanding and said, "Tell me what happened."

So Peeta went ahead and told him everything. He explained how he and Katniss had been having lunch together and had been having a nice time till Ryder barged in and made a mess of things. He revealed everything about Peeta's past regarding his love for Katniss. He then ended by mentioning how Katniss's reaction had been one of surprise and shock and when she'd asked him if what Ryder had said was true, his only option was to be honest and tell her the truth – which was yes. He was then hit with another wave of grief when she avoided his gaze completely as she got out of her chair and hurried out of the room.

When he'd finished, his father's only response was to give a small sigh and a nod of his head. He stayed silent for a minute, as if rolling his son's words around in his head and giving them serious consideration.

"I'm sorry, son," he finally said. "I wish things hadn't turned out like that, and that everything _had_ worked out for you and Katniss. I really, sincerely do. I know how much you care about Katniss." He gave a light chuckle, and added, "Seems like just yesterday you first laid eyes on her. I still remember that look of awe on your face when I pointed her out to you."

Peeta gave a sad smile at the memory. He was suddenly longing to be five again so he could be granted a second chance to go up to Katniss and talk to her, as opposed to doing what he did which was stand by and keep hoping he'd find the courage to do so, which he never did. Without him hardly noticing, eleven years had passed by in a blur and not once did he find the guts to say so much as hello.

"What should I do, Dad?" asked Peeta, his voice filled with confusion. "I tried texting her to meet me when school was over but she never responded. I feel like she doesn't want to speak to me but I just...I just want to talk to her so badly. I want to try and explain things to her, but I'm worried she might not want anything to do with me right now."

"That's the best place to start, Peeta," his father commented softly. He reached again for his hot chocolate, took a brief sip, and then set it back on the table before continuing. "Letting Katniss know that you're there for her is key. Yes, she probably is in a state of shock after hearing all that but you can't let the fear of that interfere with making it clear to her that you're _there."_

Peeta lowered his gaze to the floor and listened closely to what his father was telling him.

"It sounds to me like you've already taken that first step though," he went on. "By texting her. If that fails however, then trying to speak with her face to face would be the next obvious step. You want to let her know that what you want is to work things out with her and to erase any tension or nervousness between you both as a result of Ryder's meddling. The thing to remember though is that at the same time, you've got to leave it up to _her._ She's the one who'll ultimately decide how she feels about the situation and where she wants to take things."

"But what if she doesn't want to...take things anywhere?" asked Peeta uneasily. "What if she just feels so awkward and uncomfortable about the whole thing that she just wants to..._**stop **__seeing_ me?" He had to struggle to get the last few words out because it felt like he was accepting the possibility that the developing friendship they once had might _not_ be able to go back to the way it was...and it pained him.

Peeta knew what his father would tell him next, but it wasn't easy hearing it. He wished he could be promised and assured that things would be alright between him and Katniss, but he knew that was a promise his father_ couldn't_ give him.

"Then you have to respect that," said his father gently. "I know that sounds hard with how long you've loved her but if that's what she'd want...then sadly that's how it is. Things don't always work out for the better and we don't always get what we want, but that doesn't mean we stop trying. You let her know that you're there, and that you want to talk about it and whatever happens from there...happens."

Peeta nodded, and then asked, "Dad, can I ask a question?"

"Anything."

"I've kind of wanted to ask you for years, but, never got around to it I guess. It's about you and...mom."

"I think I may know where this is heading," said his father with a knowing look in his eyes.

"Really?" asked Peeta.

"I think you're curious about Katniss's mother," his father explained. "And why I'd never gotten together with her and instead, ended up with your mother."

"Well, yeah, I am," Peeta admitted quietly. "I mean, you've loved her for so long and wanted to marry her but...what happened?"

His father gave the smallest of a smile – one that spoke a thousand words – and answered, "It was because of what I _didn't_ do. I'd had my eyes on her for years but never got the courage to actually speak with her and before I knew it, it was too late. She'd found love with another man and the two were soon happily married. Would we be together today if I'd said something to her? Maybe. But that's an answer I'll never get."

"That's...that's like Katniss and I," said Peeta thoughtfully. "How I've loved her for years but yet I haven't even said a word to her...till now."

"I think that's what I want you to take from all of this, son," his father told him. "If you love something so deeply, then no matter what fears and doubts you have, you _have_ to fight for it. If you have a chance to speak with Katniss then despite how nervous you are, you take it. You do whatever you can, but just know that even the strongest of efforts...aren't always enough."

"I only wish," Peeta went on. "That I had spoken to her all those years back. Maybe we'd even be together now..."

His father put an arm around his son's shoulder and said sincerely, "You're a good person, Peeta. I know that more than anyone. And I know that you'll do the right thing. As to whether or not this whole thing can work itself out, that I can't answer for you. But I _know_ you'll do what's right. You always do."

Peeta gave his father an appreciate smile, and said, "Thanks, Dad."

His father gave him a final friendly pat on the shoulder before getting up and heading back into the kitchen where his wife was nearly finished with supper. Peeta didn't say much during the meal, for two reasons. The first was that he was replaying his father's words over in his eyes and realizing just how much he wanted to sort things out with Katniss. The second was that Ryder was such a chatterbox and never stopped blabbering that Peeta hardly ever got a chance to speak.

Later that night – once the dishes were cleaned and the kitchen was tidied up – Peeta decided that he would head to bed early that night. He usually never went to bed by seven, but so much had happened that day and he wanted to get a good night's rest for what he'd have to do tomorrow – confront Katniss.

When he'd crawled into bed, he set his phone on his bedside table, but not before giving it another quick look. Still no text from Katniss. It shouldn't have surprised him, but it still hurt and made him fear what events just might unfold tomorrow. All he wanted was to sleep and luckily for him...sleep came quickly and before he knew it, he'd drifted off to dreamland.

He was five years old again. It was the first day of school and he was waiting in line with his father. So many kids were gathered around. A little girl stood up near the front of the line wearing a red plaid dress and her hair done in two braids.

Peeta's father tapped his son on the shoulder, pointed in her direction and said quietly, "See that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother but she ended up with another man."

"Why didn't she choose you, Dad?" asked Peeta, confused.

"Because I was never brave enough to talk to her."

Peeta looked back at the girl and felt butterflies in his stomach; he thought he was staring at an angel. He wanted to walk over and say hi and that's when the dream took a rapid change. Peeta noticed he was no longer five, but sixteen. His father had vanished, and all the students had winked out of sight. Nobody was present except for himself and Katniss, who was now sixteen as well.

She was staring at him. He couldn't tell if she was glad, scared or puzzled, but right now it didn't matter. All he wanted was to rush over and tell her how he felt, so that's what he did. Her eyes never left him as he made his way over and when he was standing in front of her, all the words came pouring out.

"Katniss," he said, his voice filled with passion. He took one of her hands, which felt small and warm in his bigger ones and told her, "I shouldn't have waited so long to tell you but I _do_ _**love **_you. More than you'll ever know. And I know what Ryder said was a lot to consider, but I'm here now and I'd give anything for us to be together. Please...I just want to make you happy."

"Happy, huh?" she asked, sounding bored. "Then why don't you just accept the fact that you're not the one. I don't care about you. _That's _the guy who I care about."

Katniss pointed to the sky and when Peeta looked up he saw it – the hawk. The massive creature came swooping down and with a final flap of its wings, it landed. It locked its unblinking eyes on Peeta as it inched closer to him, keeping its head low and its wings to its side.

"Thought I told you to back the _**fuck**_ off, Bread Boy," the hawk hissed, opening its beak wider. Its voice then rose to a deafening screech. "Guess you'll just have to pay the price for being such a naughty boy and trying to interfere with Katniss and me."

This was no longer a dream – it was a nightmare. The worst part was that Peeta was somehow frozen in place and there was no escaping this. His feet were glued to the ground and the monster hawk that was secretly Hawthorne was sizing him up like a slab of meat.

"Why don't I show you just how _much_ this girl loves me?" the hawk laughed. "Then maybe you'll stop thinking so foolishly."

Peeta felt the pointed claws of the beast tear into his shoulder. The pain was like nothing he'd ever felt. The talons dug far past the surface of his skin and went right to his flesh. That wasn't all though. The hawk was merciless as it tore at Peeta's arms, legs, face, chest, back and Peeta could have sworn the sharp claws slashed at his eyes. All Peeta could do was stand there helplessly and scream as the agonizing pain brought forth images that grabbed hold of his heart and tore it in two.

He was now standing by his locker. Across from him stood Katniss who was putting her books away. Appearing from down the hall was the familiar hawk as it came soaring in her direction. With a piercing shriek, its body morphed into that of Gale Hawthorne. He gave Katniss a playful grin and shoved her body up against the locker where he proceeded to shower her with endless kisses while she moaned in pleasure. Her legs wrapped around him as he continued to control and dominate her. Peeta – now feeling lightheaded – wanted out of there and seconds later, was in the cafeteria.

Katniss and Gale sat near the back eating and laughing while Peeta was forced to stand there and stare. It didn't matter where he went. The sight of her with Gale was all that consumed his mind. He tried running down the hall to find somewhere to hide, but it was useless. He saw them _everywhere_: in the gymnasium shooting hoops, flirting and painting with Gale in the art room, walking hand in hand down the hallways and sharing an intense make-out session outside in the grass.

"_Just get me out of here_," he pleaded, turning once more to try and escape from this torment. "Just let me go and—"

Whether Peeta had been magically granted his wish or he'd slammed into the entrance doors of Madderson High, he wasn't sure of. It didn't matter because a minute later, he was back in his room. He was panting and breathing heavily and wanting to ensure that it was definitely a dream, he gave his arms a quick glance. He was relieved to see there were no cuts, gashes or bleeding. The monster hawk and everything he'd seen had come from a nightmare.

After having calmed down, there was one thing Peeta knew for sure: he was still just as determined to speak to Katniss. No amount of Gale threatening him was going to stand in the way between him and Katniss. All he had to remember was what his father and more importantly, what his _**heart**_ told him. With that in mind, he was all set to roll over and get back to sleep...when he heard the unmistakable buzzing of his phone. That could only mean one thing – someone had sent him a text.

He quickly got back up and leaned over to his bedside table. A glance at the clock and he saw it was 12:30am, but it could've been three in the morning and he _still_ wouldn't care. It wouldn't matter what time it was if it meant getting a possible text from Katniss.

When he opened the newest text and saw who it was, he instantly grabbed hold of his phone and brought it up to his face so he could get a good look at it. While doing so, he'd also knocked over his glass of water but it was only water. What was a little spilled water on the floor compared to the text on his phone anyway? He must have stared at the words on his phone for a minute before finally making out what they said.

The text read: _Hi Peeta. I'm so sorry to be texting you this late. I know you're probably asleep and in bed right now, but I just had to let you know how bad I felt about ignoring you earlier and not meeting you by your locker. Again, I'm really sorry. I was wondering if you'd still like to meet and talk? I was thinking maybe we could head down to the lake tomorrow after school? Anyway, sorry again for ignoring you. I really hope you'll forgive me."_

Peeta read the text a few more times and his face lit up in a smile. He whispered out loud, "Of _course_ I'll forgive you! I'd have waited all week for you if I had to."

He then responded back by saying, "_Hi! No, that's okay. I'm not mad at all. You probably just wanted to have some time for yourself, and that's completely fine. Down by the lake? Sure, that sounds great. Do a lot of people go down there?_"

Katniss's text arrived almost instantly.

"_No, not really. That's why I was thinking we could go down there for a bit just so we'd be alone to...to talk about things."_

"_Yeah, that makes sense_," Peeta texted. _Definitely want somewhere with some privacy_."

"_Agreed. So I'll see you tomorrow then?"_

_"Absolutely," _was Peeta's reply._ "You better get to sleep though, Katniss! Don't want to be sleeping in art class tomorrow! :P"_

Peeta swore his heart skipped a beat when she answered back with_, "I will. You make sure to get some sleep too! ;)"_

The fact that he'd just been texting Katniss about meeting up tomorrow made him almost forget something.

"Oh, crap! The water!" he thought. He got out of bed and quietly, but quickly made his way to the bathroom to get some paper towl to clean up the mess. His mother would have a fit if she walked in right now and saw Peeta's floor covered in water. He made sure to clean it up good, and then went downstairs to put the wet paper in the garbage bin their kitchen.

When he returned to his room, he got under the covers and felt the warmth of the blankets as he let his mind think about what tomorrow might hold.

_"Down by the lake," _thought Peeta dreamily._ "Just Katniss and I, and nobody else. Just **us.**"_


	10. Down by the Lake

**A/N: Hey! I just had a quick suggestion I wanted to make for you guys to do while/after reading this chapter. ****When writing this chapter, I had the song Kiss in the Rain by Yiruma playing, so if you want to have that song playing to help with the mood, please do so! :)**

Chapter 10: Down by the Lake

Besides having nightmares where Gale had once again taken the form of a vicious hawk (he'd seen that image more than once in his own head) and slashed at Peeta's body and then went on to show him images of Katniss practically going crazy over Hawthorne – Peeta was treated with a pleasantly relaxing sleep. Once the encounter with the hawk had ended and his sense of helplessness and vulnerability had left him, he'd fallen into a peaceful slumber and for the rest of the night, he'd dreamt only of him and Katniss sitting down by the lake.

When he awoke, he glanced over and saw the morning sun peaking through his window; he could feel the warmth of its rays. It was a welcoming sight and made Peeta wonder if today might just turn out alright in spite of all the worry he'd been battling with over the past few hours. And he still had his father's advice to keep in mind. He still remembered it, word for word, which had been: If you love something so deeply, then no matter what fears and doubts you have, you _have_ to fight for it. If you have a chance to speak with Katniss then despite how nervous you are, you take it. At the same time, he also recalled what his father had reminded his son, which was: You do whatever you can, but just know that even the strongest of efforts...aren't always enough.

"_Even if what happens later isn't what I hoped_," he thought, getting up and gazing out his window. "_I'm still going to let her know how I feel. No more hiding my feelings and standing off to the sides._ _My father told me not to make the same mistake as him, which was to do nothing and hope what you love simply comes to you._ _He said that's not how it works. So even if this ends badly and she wants to call off our friendship...I'm still telling her I __**love**__ her."_

He dug through his dresser and pulling out a clean t-shirt, jeans and underwear, he quickly got changed. He took a few minutes to make up his bed before leaving his room, knowing his mother would give him a hard time if he didn't. She hated having to clean up after other people, especially when two out of three of her sons rarely ever made their own bed.

When he got downstairs he saw the table was already set for breakfast. His mother and father were already seated and waiting for Peeta, Ryder and Jordix to join them. Peeta took a seat next to his father, who gave Peeta the smallest of a smile that was secretly saying, "_Good look, son_." In a moment, Ryder and Jordix arrived and the five sat down to a breakfast of toast with jam, scrambled eggs and crispy bacon.

The walk to Madderson High felt somehow different for Peeta. Where most times it felt longer than it actually was, today it seemed different and shorter almost. And his surroundings were much quieter. Where he'd usually hear the singing of birds, the rustling of the wind in the trees or the sound of a dog barking close by, there was none of that today. It was a calm and peaceful silence.

"_Well, no turning back now_," thought Peeta, thinking ahead to what might happen down by the lake. "_Just a few classes and then...I open up my heart to her."_

The day certainly seemed to pass by much quicker than Peeta would have expected. But he figured since he was fortunately able to keep his mind on what was happening in class rather than wonder what the end of the day might hold, it made sense that the day would fly by. His first class had been biology and when he'd shown Mr. Boggs his two completed diagrams, the teacher was pleased. Peeta was even more pleased when he got the two sheets back at the end of class and saw he'd gotten a perfect score.

"_Today's already starting out good!_" he thought cheerily. "_Now if I can just focus on math, then I should be alright till art class._"

Like biology, Peeta was able to keep his mind on algebra rather than let his mind wander to a few hours later. It was when his third class – which was right before lunch – came rolling around, that he knew he could no longer keep from feeling distracted. It was hard not to when Katniss was sitting right next to him and the two had been assigned to complete a self-portrait of themselves and all he could think about was, "_What's she going to think when I tell her everything...and that I love her? Will she get scared off? Will she think I'm some love-sick freak? Will she feel so awkward that she'll just want to call off our friendship completely? Okay, just calm down, Mellark...you'll find out soon enough. Just focus on not making your face look ridiculous_."

It was a little easier to keep distracted at lunch, since Peeta was so starving and all he could think about was pleasing his hungry stomach. It also helped that his best friend Delly had asked if he'd like to have lunch with her. He had a tasty feast of two chicken wraps with a creamy ranch sauce, a small Caesar salad and a blueberry muffin for dessert. It definitely left him feeling full, content and satisfied. He wanted to spend the next hour with Delly, but a little after they'd finished eating, she wasn't feeling too well and so she decided she'd better go home for the remainder of the day.

Two of his other friends also couldn't hang out with him on free. Cato was writing a math test he'd been unable to write the previous week and Marvel was busy catching up on overdue biology homework that couldn't be put off any longer. That didn't mean he couldn't find other ways to keep busy on free.

He found a spot in the hall where he slid himself down and took out one of his sketchbooks. He flipped through till he found an empty page and began to sketch. If there was one thing he could always count on to help keep both himself and his mind occupied...it was sketching. He put an intense amount of focus and concentration into his work, making sure to include every detail and above all, to take his time with the drawing.

When he'd completed his sketch, he held it out in front of him and looked it over. What he'd created was a picture of Katniss. She was sitting in art class with her arms crossed and staring up at the board with a calm, serene look on her face. Peeta had seen her face enough times in art class to know that she was normally like this, with her expression not one of boredom, annoyance or confusion – but serenity. As he observed his sketch, it even looked like she had a bit of contentment on her face. He smiled, liking the idea that he had helped her find some enjoyment in art as opposed to hating it and finding it totally useless in her everyday life.

He was _almost _wishing he could stay sitting there and do up another sketch, but forced himself to his feet. His free was over and the school day was officially done. He'd gone to all of his classes, ate lunch with Delly and then spent an hour creating a sketch. There was nothing else that had to be done but make his way down by the lake to meet up with Katniss.

"_Went by a lot faster than I thought it would_," thought Peeta, thinking about how fast the day _had_ gone by. "_Now it's time to head down and meet with her. I just __**really**__ hope I'll have the guts to not chicken out and tell her how much I love her. I know she already knows since Ryder blurted the whole secret out, but maybe it'll sound different actually coming from me. Maybe I can help not make the whole situation feel so awkward. Then again, if she doesn't feel the same way about me, then I guess the whole thing's going to feel pretty awkward for her. But I don't want to make her feel awkward; I just want to let her know that I care about her."_

When Peeta walked out the front doors of the school, he saw most students were already heading home or waiting for the bus. On any other day, he'd be on his way home as well, but not today. He had somewhere to go and someone to meet. So rather than follow behind everyone else, he turned to his left and started off in the direction of the lake Katniss had talked about. He'd never actually been to the lake, but he knew how to get there, since it wasn't too difficult. One only had to start walking left from the school and keep heading that way and in about ten minutes, they'd be at the lake.

Peeta followed these same instructions and indeed it only took him about ten minutes till he'd reached the spot. At a first glimpse, only one word sprang to mind as to how he'd describe this place – beautiful. The vast body of water that stretched out before him was breathtaking and behind and all around him were huge, towering trees. Standing beneath them and gazing up, he knew this would be a great place to come in the summer, especially because the trees could provide such lovely shade.

Besides the water and trees, there wasn't much else to admire. Glancing off to his right, though, he _did _catch sight of something bright and vivid in color. When he strolled over to observe what it was, he saw it was a patch of wild flowers, and they were of all colors: rosy red, deep orange, golden yellow, royal purple and even white. As he knelt down to run his fingers over the soft patch, all he could think of was that he wanted to gather some into a bouquet and give them to Katniss. He debated about whether this might be pushing too hard or making it too obvious where his feelings stood, but ultimately decided he didn't care. Like his father had told him just last night, the key was to let her know that he was there and wanted to work things out with her...and he most_ definitely_ did.

When he left the patch of flowers and walked back over to take a seat, he took a quick look around wondering where Katniss was. He suddenly wondered if something had come up and she wasn't able to come. Or worse, had something happened to her? Had she simply decided at the last minute that she just didn't want to talk to him?

"_No_," he thought, and took a seat in the grass while setting the bouquet beside him. "_She wouldn't do that. And even if she changed her mind about coming, she would have texted or called me._ _She wouldn't just not show up._"

Peeta turned his attention out to the calm lake while remembering what his father had said, what his heart was telling him at that very second, and the time he and Katniss had spent together so far.

"Hi Peeta."

Peeta quickly turned his head and saw her slowly making her way towards him. She was dressed the same as she had been earlier – a simple t-shirt, jogging pants, running shoes and with her hair done up in her familiar braid. He felt like he could sit there and stare at her forever, but that wasn't why she'd asked him to come here; so he got to his feet and walked over to her.

"Hey," he said with a smile. "I just got here a minute ago. This place is pretty amazing. I wish I would have found it sooner, or known about it."

"It is," she agreed. She took a seat in the grass and crossed her legs as she looked to her left and saw a small, but pretty bouquet of flowers. Peeta noticed this immediately and picking them up, he held them out to her and smiled sincerely while taking a seat next to her.

"These are for you," he said, praying she'd not catch sight of the sudden red in his cheeks. Either she didn't notice, or she was too busy observing the flowers but either way, he was extremely relieved. He wasn't quite sure why it would be such a big deal if she caught him blushing though. She obviously already knew everything Ryder had said was true. But still...he couldn't escape the feeling of nervous butterflies that fluttered in his stomach.

As he watched her holding the flowers, he added, "I thought you'd like all the different colors. They looked pretty over in the grass, and I thought you might like them."

"They're beautiful," she said, setting them down and returning his gaze with a smile. "Thank you."

Peeta gave a slight nod and then searched her face for what she might me thinking or feeling right now. Was she already feeling awkward? Did she want Peeta to open up and start the talking? Did she just want to get the whole discussion over with as quickly as possible? He hadn't the slightest clue, but figured opening up might be a decent place to start.

"So," he said, attempting to keep things light. "That was probably a lot to take in, huh? What my brother said?"

She turned and locked eyes with him and answered, "Well, to be honest...yeah, it was. I guess I just didn't...expect that."

Peeta nodded in understanding and said, "He's really annoying. For whatever reason I still don't know, he loves embarrassing people, me especially. He finds it funny to see people nervous and humiliated and to this day, he still does it just as much as he did when he was little."

Katniss said nothing to this. She simply kept her eyes on Peeta.

"I just felt bad for _you_," he said sympathetically. "It must have been weird hearing all that."

"A little," she admitted, and then asked, "But when I asked you if what Ryder had said was true, and you told me yes...that was _true_, wasn't it?"

"_The truth, Mellark_," he thought, keeping cool. "_Remember what you're here to do: tell her the truth and tell her how you __**feel**_. _No matter how nervous you are, don't hold __**anything **__back_."

"Yes," he said softly.

She dropped her gaze as if she were hearing it again for the first time. Peeta sensed that she wasn't _as _shocked as she'd been when Ryder had told her, and the fact that the two were far off from everyone else certainly helped. It was just the two of them, with no fears of their conversation being overheard.

"He said that you've loved me since you were five," said Katniss. "Have you really loved me for that long?"

"I have," he told her honestly.

"You've loved me for _eleven _years?" she asked, her voice now close to a whisper.

Peeta nodded and said, "Ever since that first day of school when I heard you sing in music assembly...I've been a goner."

"You heard me singing?"

"Yeah, everyone seemed to really like it, too," he went on. "Especially the teacher. I wanted to sit there and hear you sing some more. I could have sat there forever and listened to you sing, but then the mockingjays showed up. I swear every bird outside that window started singing."

"Yeah, right," she said with a laugh.

"No, it happened," said Peeta. "All those birds heard you singing and once they stopped, I didn't know what to do with myself. I knew I wanted to talk to you and hopefully get to know you but...I was always too shy. I just didn't know how to approach you or go about saying hi to you but I never gave up trying. So for the next eleven years, I tried to work up the nerve to talk to you."

"Without success," said Katniss, not taking her eyes off Peeta. It was like she was drawn to his story, and now that the two were finally alone and away from nosy eyes – they could talk about everything.

Peeta gave a small smile and said, "Without success. So, in a way, ending up in the same art class together was a real piece of luck."

Katniss picked up the bouquet of flowers and gave them a long look, not saying a word while she did so. She simply sat there running her fingers over the petals, as if she were at last starting to have a clearer understanding of where her head was.

All Peeta could think while watching her was, "_I just wish I could read her mind. Or if she'd just give me even a __**clue**__ to what she was thinking, maybe I'd have an idea of where to take this conversation. Do I keep going? Do we drop the whole subject and talk normally? Help me out, Katniss! I'm sort of lost here..."_

After a few minutes, she set down her flowers and said haltingly, "You have a...remarkable memory."

"I remember everything about you," said Peeta softly, not breaking eye contact with her. "You're the one who wasn't paying attention."

"I am now," she told him.

"Well, I guess there isn't much more to add then," said Peeta. "You already know everything, so you know how I feel about you. But can I just say something, Katniss?"

"Of course."

"I _**love**_ you, Katniss," he said gently. "I don't think I'd ever be able to truly tell you how much I do, but that's just it. Yes, I do love you, but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable either. I don't want you to think that just because I do, that you have to feel that way about me."

Katniss watched him carefully, but said nothing and kept on listening.

"I'm completely okay with just being friends," Peeta continued. "These past few weeks in art class, I've been so happy just sitting with you, talking to you and getting to work on art projects together. I couldn't be happier. So please don't think I'm trying to pressure or force you into becoming more than just friends."

Katniss was quiet for a moment, but then she found the words she was searching for. Suddenly, she was looking a bit shy and Peeta could sense just by the tone in her voice that she was indeed...sounding somewhat shy.

"I know that, Peeta," she told him, keeping her eyes on the flowers. "I've had to think a lot about things in the last few hours. Ever since Ryder first told me all that, my head was in a million places. It all just felt so confusing and messy and trying to figure out how I felt about it was hard. It was like it was too much to take in all at once. But I _did_ think long and hard about it..."

"_So, all this time..._" thought Peeta, finally realizing what he'd been wondering about. "_When I sent her that text and I kept thinking she was avoiding me, she really __**wasn't**__! Here I thought she wanted nothing to do with Peeta Mellark and all this time she was thinking about things. So, if she did think long and hard about it, does that mean...she's going to __**tell**__ me?"_

"Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked softly.

She nodded and said, "I guess it took long enough to realize it, but I _definitely _found it. I was a bit nervous at first, but I couldn't ignore it, or deny it. It was right there staring me in the face."

Peeta listened patiently. Not once did he interrupt or demand that she just spit it out. He'd be willing to sit there as long as she needed till she was comfortable enough to say what she had to say.

"I think it was the first day in art class that did it," she told him, a smile crossing her face. "I just remember what I thought of you when we first met. You seemed funny, nice and a really decent kind of guy. And then all the art classes after that, it just felt like the pieces were starting to come together. When Ryder told me all of that, I'll admit, it _was_ a lot to take in. But after I got home and took the time to think it threw, it hit me that the feelings I was then having weren't _bad_...they were _**good**_. All of them."

Peeta kept his eyes on her, taking in every word she was saying.

"Even my _sister_ could see it," said Katniss. She then laughed and added, "Heck, even my _cat_ could see it! My **cat**! And he hates me. It was seeing everyone else's reactions that I just had to stop thinking so much and just accept what my heart was telling me."

"_This is it_," thought Peeta, feeling both terribly frightened and terribly excited. "_Either she's going to __**crush**__ me...or make me the __**happiest**__ guy in the world."_

Katniss looked Peeta right in the eye and told him, "My heart was telling me that...I _do_ _**love**_ you, Peeta."

All the doubts, worrying and constant fears of losing Katniss's friendship and company completely were washed away in a second. It was like all the anxiety and fretfulness was being erased because of those five words. They were the five words Peeta had waited eleven long years to hear. He'd constantly had fears that he'd never get to hear them, but those fears were now a thing of the past.

"You...you _**love**_ _me_?" asked Peeta gently. It was like the words were too good to be true. He couldn't contain the smile forming on his lips and the giddiness in his voice as he asked,_ "Really?_"

Katniss positioned herself so she was lying comfortably on her side and told him with absolute certainty, "I do...I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it."

Peeta rolled over on his side as well so he was facing Katniss. He took one of the flowers from the bouquet – one of the royal purple-colored ones – and gently reached over and tucked it securely in her hair.

He then gave her such a sweet smile that combined the right amount of shyness and affection that Katniss swore the warmth spreading through her body was intoxicating.

"Don't apologize," said Peeta. "If anyone should be sorry, it's _me_. I shouldn't have waited eleven years to finally work up the nerve to talk to you. I should have just gone up to you back when we were five. Who would've thought that I'd finally get that chance in a class doing something I love? I think that worked out pretty well."

"Yeah," she agreed with a laugh. "Sure seems like it." She then paused for a moment and Peeta couldn't help wonder what she was thinking. She didn't wait long to tell him.

"Peeta, can I ask you something?"

He nodded and said, "Anything."

"Well, it's about _us_," she started. She looked a tad bit nervous, but that didn't stop her from continuing. "When I spent the last little bit thinking about us and how I felt about you, at first, I was pretty confused about what I wanted; but now I do know. I _do _want a relationship with you, Peeta, it's just..."

"What?" he asked, his voice still gentle as ever.

"Is it alright if we take things...slow?" she asked innocently, but sounding embarrassed. "It seems like most people around like to jump right into relationships and take things fast with making out and...and sex and whatnot."

Peeta couldn't hold back an adoring smile at Katniss's innocence. It was one of the many things he loved about her besides her strength, independence and determined personality. He didn't hesitate to reach out and put his hand over hers. Right then, Katniss knew exactly how she felt sitting here lying in the grass with Peeta Mellark – she felt _**safe.**_

"That's _more_ than okay," he told her genuinely. "I'd never want to rush into things either."

Katniss smiled and explained, "It's just...I've never really felt like this about anyone. I mean, I've never been in love or in a relationship before, so it's all pretty new to me. Seems like everyone else pretty much has the whole love thing down pat except me. That's why I asked if you'd mind."

"I don't mind at all," Peeta assured her. "And I know you already know this but...I'm not too familiar with it either. I'm like you; I've never been in a relationship. I've only ever been in love with somebody once, and you already know who that is."

"Wait," said Katniss suddenly. "I know you said you've loved me since you were five and I believe that but since we were five, youneve_r_ even noticed any other girls?"

"No, I noticed just about every girl," he explained. "But none of them made a lasting impression but you."

Katniss gave a small smile and said, "I left a lasting impression, did I?"

"Yes, and that's why I didn't stop thinking about you all those years," Peeta told her. "You were so unique and different from all the other girls. It's like I knew you were the kind of girl I wanted to be with."

"I guess we _do_ have art class to thank then," said Katniss thoughtfully. "For putting us together."

"Guess we do," Peeta agreed. "Remember that first day when you said you didn't like art?"

"Yes."

"Well, if it weren't for that class," he went on with a smile. "Then who knows where we'd both be right now?"

"Okay," she admitted. "Maybe art class isn't _so _bad after all."

There was a brief pause before Katniss spoke up and said, "I'm kind of excited though. Never having been in a relationship, it's all a totally new experience for me. I've always wondered what it'd be like to find someone to love, and to be loved back. It seemed like the kind of thing I might like to have one day with that _special_ person. It all just sounded so..._**nice**_."

Without even realizing it, Peeta had inched himself a bit closer to Katniss so the two were almost face to face. Her grey eyes stayed locked on his bright blue ones as he kept his hand interlocked with hers and gazed at her with the loving smile that caused that warm tingling feeling to spread all over her body.

"_**Girlfriend**_?" he whispered softly.

Katniss felt the unmistakable blush in her cheeks as she smiled and whispered, "_Girlfriend."_ She then held her smile as she whispered back, "_**Boyfriend**_?"

Peeta gave an even bigger smile in return and said quietly, "_Boyfriend_."

It was now official. The two were no longer just friends and partners in art class. They were now a couple, together...and in _love._

The two remained silent for only a short minute before Peeta plucked up the courage to ask something that he'd wanted to do for so very long.

"Katniss?" he asked her, his voice still in a whisper. "Would you mind if I **kissed** you? Would that be okay?"

Katniss dropped his gaze and turned her head to look around, wondering if they might not really be alone and that there might be other people around. She'd always wanted her first kiss to be memorable and special and for it to be truly special, the two should be completely alone.

Peeta sensed this at once and reached his hand out to gently touch her cheek as he reassured her, "It's okay Katniss. There's nobody else here. It's just _us_...just you and me. I promise."

Katniss relaxed instantly and lowered her head back onto the grass so the two were once again face to face. Just being this close to Peeta sent shivers up her spine, as if she could feel the warmth of him covering her like a protective blanket. Having never kissed a boy before and now seconds away from doing so, she was hit with a sense of excitement and shyness as she leaned in closer. She barely had time to consider what Peeta was thinking until it was happening – they were _**kissing.**_

The only thing racing through her mind was the warmth and softness of Peeta's lips as he slowly and gently brushed them against her own. There were no words to describe this new experience, only that as she felt his lips moving with hers, the tingling sensation inside her was increasing intensely.

"_Eleven years of waiting_," thought Peeta, lost hopelessly in the moment. "_It might have taken eleven years...but it was __**completely**__ worth the wait."_

"_I know it took a while to accept how I felt_," thought Katniss, just as lost in the moment. "_But I love Peeta Mellark, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be and no one else I'd rather be with."_

When the two slowly separated, Katniss let out a quiet laugh, causing Peeta to laugh as well.

"Our first kiss down here by the lake," said Peeta, staring out at the water. "Pretty special, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah," Katniss agreed. "It was definitely _special_."

The two spent the next little while on their backs gazing up at the trees and the drifting clouds that floated lazily by. They didn't talk at all; they just stared up at the sky while identifying whatever shapes they happened to come across.

They did this for about twenty minutes until Peeta looked over and asked, "Katniss?"

"Yeah?"

"Before we leave, can I ask you for one more thing?"

"Another kiss?" she asked with a light chuckle.

"No," he said smiling. "I was actually wondering if you might mind..._**singing **_for me?"

She turned her head to look at him and asked, confused, "What?"

"I haven't heard you sing in eleven years," he told her softly. "I was just hoping I might get the chance to hear you sing it again – the Valley Song. I'd love to hear it again and you're the only one I'd want to hear singing it."

"Well, I...I don't really like singing in front of people," she told him nervously. "I mean, it was different when we were kids. I was little then. But now I just feel...embarrassed."

"Don't feel embarrassed," he said kindly. "I bet you sound even more beautiful than you did all those years ago. But if you'd really rather not sing, I understand. I wouldn't want to force you into doing something you wouldn't want to."

There was a short pause before Katniss told him, "Okay. I guess I'd be more embarrassed if it was in front of a group, but if it's just you..."

"It's just me," he said smiling. He then added in hopes of making her feel more comfortable, "And you don't have to worry about anyone judging you because you already know how I feel, right?"

She chuckled and said, "Yeah, that's true. Alright then..."

She only waited a minute or two before starting, but once she began, Peeta was hit with a wave of such emotion it felt like a huge weight was being pressed onto his shoulders (but in a good way). He was instantly brought back to when the two were five and he'd first heard her sing the Valley Song in music assembly. And here he was eleven years later listening to it again.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

_Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes_

_And when again they open, the sun will rise_

Peeta was absolutely mesmerized. He couldn't take his eyes off her; she looked even more graceful than she had so long ago. Her voice made his knees feel weak and the only thing he could think as he watched and listened to her in awe was, "_I'll never stop loving you."_

_Here it's safe, here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you_

By this point, Peeta was now feeling a sense of joy when he reflected on what Katniss had told him earlier and the fact that she and him were now together. He could now happily call the girl he'd loved for eleven years his _girlfriend._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

_And when again its morning, they'll wash away_

"_It sounds even more beautiful than it did back when we were kids_," thought Peeta. "_I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever._"

_Here it's safe, here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you_

When Katniss had finished, Peeta commented, "That was lovely."

"I wonder if any mockingjays are—" but before she could finish, she was interrupted by the sounds of rustling in the trees and the flapping of wings. When she and Peeta looked up they saw the unmistakable birds called Mockingjays perched high in the trees. Their mouths had opened and the gathered birds were now breaking out in full song.

"I've never seen one up close before," said Peeta, rising to his feet to get a better look.

"Really?" asked Katniss in surprise.

"Really," said Peeta. "The only time I've ever seen them was that first day at school when you sang. Other than that, I've never seen one up close like this."

The two stood there until the birds had finished their singing. Once this had ended, they left the tranquil surroundings of the lake where so much had happened in only a few hours and made their way back for home. The two walked hand-in-hand, enjoying the stillness of everything around them till they arrived at Katniss's house.

"Well, that was a _very_ interesting afternoon," Peeta chuckled. "Wouldn't you say?"

Katniss laughed at the remark and said, "Yeah, and I could think of a few other words too."

"Hey, I was thinking," Peeta told her. "You know that math test we have next Monday? The one on algebra?" Katniss nodded.

"Would you like to do some studying together? We could maybe do it at my house, since my parents and brothers will be out that day? I'm kind of nervous about it and I could _definitely_ use your help."

"Alright," said Katniss. "Saturday works for me."

"Great!" said Peeta. He then threw in excitedly, "I'll even make us a cake or something. That way we can do something fun while obsessing over boring algebra. Sound good?"

"Mmm, that sounds good," said Katniss, the idea of cake suddenly sounding very appetizing. "Okay. I'll see you then."

Peeta smiled, leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before turning and heading home himself. He'd almost gotten home when the unpleasant familiar hissing of the hawk returned.

"_Getting bold, aren't we?_" it shrieked in fury. "_Getting close to Katniss and thinking she'll fall for you and not for Hawthorne. Very well then. If it's a battle you want, then it's a __**war**__ you'll get, Bread Boy. Let me just warn you though, that if you keep this up, you'll have no way of escaping what __**I**__ can throw at you. You've no clue as to what I can do to you, the pain I can inflict upon you."_

When Peeta was stepping through the front doors to his house, he no longer heard the voice of the hawk speaking to him. What he heard was Gale's voice itself growling enviously, "_You want to compete, Mellark? Fine. I've just got one thing to say to you then: may the odds be __**ever **__in __**your **__favour_."


	11. Chocolate Cake and Algebra

Chapter 11: Chocolate Cake and Algebra

Ever since that afternoon down by the lake when Katniss had revealed her feelings and had admitted that she _was_ interested in a relationship, Peeta's thoughts were filled with nothing but joy. The worries and concerns that had haunted him for years while growing up were gone entirely. The days of hiding in the shadows and watching Katniss in silence while hoping they'd somehow get together were history. The two were now officially a couple and within only a few days the whole of Madderson High was aware of it too. Pretty much everyone knew where Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen's relationship stood now. They weren't just friends in art class – they were now boyfriend and girlfriend.

But it meant more to Peeta and held far more importance to him then he believed most realized. Where most in high school would date, experiment, break up and then embark on the search for the next great partner, this wasn't the case for him. He'd had his eyes on Katniss since he was five years old and the fact that he was now aware of how she felt about him, he felt like what he'd waited so long and patiently for was now finally his forever.

There was only one set of eyes in the school that kept a careful watch on the two lovebirds while keeping an especially close watch over Peeta – and those were the eyes of Hawthorne. The second Gale heard the news he was struck with such a raging fury that he had to practically contain himself from letting all his anger and envy out and tear the bread boy apart. The hawk inside him was desperate to be let out and take down the prey that had so boldly ignored and made light of the threat the creature had warned him of. It was clear that Peeta had no intentions of listening to Gale because Katniss Everdeen was now _his._

It was the day after Katniss had gone to the lake that she was sitting with Gale in the cafeteria doing what they normally did on free, which was simply chatting and hanging out.

"So, it's true then, huh?" said Gale flatly, his eyes glued to the table. "About you and Mellark?" He spit out the word 'Mellark' like it left a taste of horrid poison in his mouth.

"Gale, I already told you," said Katniss, her voice firm. "I have feelings for him. When are you gonna understand that I just don't feel that—"

"That way about me?" he snapped, shooting her a look of anger and hurt. "Yeah, I know that. You've told me that plenty enough times."

"But only because you keep bringing it up," she shot back, struggling to keep calm. She'd been through this talk more than once with Gale and the more he brought it up, the more frustrated she got. He just never seemed to be willing to accept how she _didn't_ feel about him. "I just don't get why you can't accept that, Gale?"

"I just don't get what you see in him," snarled Gale under his breath. "He's a _fuckin' _baker who likes painting lameass pictures. And you think that's appealing _because_...? You haven't even known him that long! What, a month and suddenly you two are together? Yet you've known me all your life? Tell me how that makes sense, Katniss!"

Katniss was tired with trying to get through to him, so she pushed herself out of her chair and started in the other direction. "I gotta go," she called over her shoulder.

"Oh I know," he snapped, keeping his eyes on her. "Gotta go check up on little bread boy. Make sure he's alright. You go do that...see if I care."

The one thought consuming Gale's screaming and envious mind right then was: "_You're gonna fuckin' pay for this, Mellark. Mark my words. You're gonna wish you'd never gone after that girl. Just wait till you get a taste of what I got in store for __**you**__..."_

The next few days went by rather quickly for Peeta and Katniss. Both went to art class like they normally did but the two found themselves doing a little bit more than just drawing with a pencil or painting with a brush. When they got the chance and when the teacher wasn't strolling around the room inspecting everyone's work, the two would be seen laughing and flirting every now and then. Peeta especially enjoyed teasing Katniss when she got paint on her fingers and she liked teasing him about how determined he was about getting in every last bit of detail in his sketches. He'd even sometimes try and stay after class for just a few extra minutes to get in that last needed shading and all Katniss could do was burst out laughing. "Is it really necessary?" she'd ask him and his response was always, "Of course!"

They spent their lunch hours together and for them, it didn't matter whether they were sitting in the cafeteria, somewhere in the halls or even outside – they just loved one other's company. Peeta would even bring in treats from the bakery and let Katniss decide which ones she liked best. For those few days, he brought in: sugar cookies, chocolate-and-vanilla swirl cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles and mint-flavoured brownies.

Neither of them texted much in class because they actually paid attention to what the teacher was explaining, but, however...they _would_ send an occasional text. If Peeta was feeling bored and distracted in biology, he'd quickly take out his phone and send her a simple: "_How's class?_" Katniss would usually reply back with: "_Pretty boring. How about you?_" to which Peeta would text back: "_Same with me. Pretty boring_."

After her conversation with Gale in the cafeteria and how stubborn he'd been, she felt she needed a break from him, at least until he cooled down a bit. She didn't want to let his anger and bitterness interfere with her happiness with Peeta and she feared if she spent too long thinking about Gale and what _he_ was feeling, then she'd completely forget how _she_ was feeling with Peeta. So for the rest of that week she hung out with four of her closest friends – Madge, Johanna, Glimmer and Clove. When she'd told the four of them that she and Peeta were now officially together, all four reacted differently.

Madge was happy at the news and assured Katniss she'd probably enjoy having a boyfriend. "He seems like a decent guy, too," Madge told her. "You're lucky to have someone like that. You kept on saying how you'd never find someone or the right guy just wasn't out there for you...but look at you now: lover of Peeta Mellark."

Johanna simply laughed and said, "Well, it's _about_ time! I don't know Peeta that well but I know enough about him to know that he's crazy about you. And it's about time you got yourself a boyfriend. Trust me, you'll _love_ the kissing."

When Katniss showed Glimmer a picture of Peeta on her phone, her friend's eyes lit up and she looked right at Katniss and exclaimed, "_That_ guy's your boyfriend? Wow, talk about a cutie. That blond hair, bright blue eyes...man he looks yummy."

Katniss just gave her a glare, but Glimmer quickly assured her, "Don't worry, Kat. He's cute but I've got my sights on _way_ too many guys to worry about any one guy in particular. I'm still having a hard time choosing which one to go after. But congratulations to you and him, though! That's great."

Clove's reaction was by far the most unenthusiastic. "That's cool. You seem happy about it." She was never the sort of girl that was crazy or infatuated with guys, and didn't care much about the drama and couples and dating that came with high school. What defined her was her love for sports and how she pretty much kicked ass at whatever challenge was thrown at her. It didn't matter what sport either – soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, football – Clove was a serious force to be reckoned with when it came to sports. And above all, she played to _win._

Peeta spent his hour with Delly on free like he frequently did and when he told her that he and Katniss were finally together, she gave a huge smile that showed just how truly happy she was for him.

"Peeta, that's awesome!" she told him. "I'm so glad for you two. After all these years of wondering what would happen, you're now together; you must be so happy. I know this sounds kinds of cheesy since so many people say it but trust me when I say that you two are _**perfect**_ for each other."

He nodded and said with a smile, "Thanks, Delly. It's just hard to believe that it's actually _real._ I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. And I know our relationship's only a few days old, but it feels like we've been together for...longer than that, you know? It's kind of hard to explain."

"You must be loving art," said Delly. She took a brief sip of her water before setting it down and continuing, "It must be great having Katniss in your class, especially now that you two are a couple."

"Oh, I am," he told her. "And Katniss is getting so much better with her skills. I remember the first day of school she told me that she'd never get good and that she hated art...but she's come a long way since then. She's created some pretty spectacular things. Maybe I'll show you them sometime next time you're down by the art rooms. Mr. Odair's said he's thinking of putting some stuff up next week."

"I'd like that," said Delly. She then got to her feet and told Peeta she had to head upstairs and ask her history teacher a question about an upcoming project. Before she turned and left, she told him sincerely, "You're gonna make a _fantastic_ boyfriend Peeta."

Peeta gave her an appreciate smile and said, "I sure hope so."

"I know you well," Delly went on. "And I know you're gonna treat Katniss like gold."

In all, the week went by quicker than either Peeta or Katniss had expected. When Saturday had finally rolled around, all Peeta could do was sit quietly in the living room while waiting for his parents and two brothers to leave the house. His mother and father were heading out for the day to do some errands and pick up some things for the bakery – materials, ingredients and some new pans, bowls and pots for the kitchen – which his mother insisted they needed. Ryder had a planned date and Peeta could only imagine what kind of girl would go out with a weasel like him. He was actually hoping (for the girl's sake) that the date went horrible and that she insisted to never see him again. It wasn't that he wanted her to have an unpleasant time, but he figured Ryder wasn't the nicest, patient or most polite kind of guy and that he shouldn't be dating unless he treated his lady right. Jordix was off to the beach with a group of friends and didn't intend on coming home till later that night.

"_The whole afternoon to ourselves_," thought Peeta. "_My mother won't be able to scold and yell at me for spending all this time worrying about a girl_ _and best of all, no Ryder to step in and try and be the biggest annoyance possible. Should be a great time."_

As he sat waiting, he saw Ryder hurrying down the stairs. When he caught sight of Peeta, he stopped and gave him an ugly sneer.

"Hey, dork," he spat. "Got myself a date tonight; gonna be a wicked time. But poor Peeta has to stay home all by himself like the loser he is."

Peeta kept calm and told him, "I actually have to thank you, Ryder."

Ryder raised a brow and laughed, "Uhh...for _what_?"

"Remember a few days ago at lunch when you told Katniss how long I've loved her for?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, bursting out laughing. "And I remember how fuckin' _stupid_ you looked! Priceless, man!"

"I thought you ruined whatever chance I had with Katniss," Peeta went on. A small smile then crossed his face as he explained, "The thing is...you didn't. I thought you would, but you didn't. We're together now. She told me she feels the same way about me so in a way Ryder...your plan kind of backfired. You _did _manage to humiliate me, but you _didn't _succeed in keeping her from me."

Ryder stared at Peeta with absolutely no expression. An annoyed look crossed his face and Peeta could tell by reading his brother's face that he was out and out pissed that his plan had failed. He'd set out to make a fool out of his younger brother and scare Katniss away from him...but he hadn't.

"You think you're so _fuckin'_ clever, don't you?" snarled Ryder, taking a few threatening steps towards Peeta, who stayed calm and relaxed. He had no reason to fear Ryder losing his cool and trying to land a punch to his face; his father was likely in one of the nearby rooms anyway and would give Ryder a serious scolding if he caught him attacking Peeta.

Ryder gave Peeta a final glare before turning and stomping off. "Whatever. It was fun while it lasted. And you and that chick won't last long anyway. It'll be fun to see the day you come home sobbing your poor little heart out because she's threw with you. I'll _definitely_ be there to witness _that_!"

About ten minutes later, his mother and father and two brothers were heading out the door. Peeta was all too happy to hear Ryder's footsteps leaving the house and soon enough, he had the entire house to himself. He glanced up at the clock and saw it was a little after one. Katniss had told him she'd come over around one, so he figured she'd be here any minute.

Five minutes later, he heard the doorbell ring. He got up and quickly made his way downstairs into the bakery where he saw someone standing outside the door. When he opened the door his face broke out in a smile when he saw her standing there with her book bag slung over her shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "Prim needed a bit of help with one of her reading logs, so I gave her one of my old ones so she'd have an idea of what to write."

"Hey, no problem," said Peeta casually. "We've got all afternoon. Come on in."

He held the door open for her as she walked in and when she got her first glimpse of the world of the Mellark Bakery – her eyes widened. She was getting a close-up look at the various treats, desserts and delicacies that bakeries were so famous for. There were countless cakes in all shapes, sizes, colors and layers and each one was more different than the next. Some were of three layers covered only with chocolate icing, while others were of one layer with vanilla icing and rainbow-colored patterns dotted around the edges. The amount of detail put into the cakes was truly amazing and that's when she remembered who was responsible for designing the cakes – Peeta.

She turned and with a look of awe, asked, "You did all..._this_?"

He stepped up beside her and said, "Most of them. My brothers help out sometimes but my father lets me do a lot of them since he knows I love decorating them so much. It's fun too, especially because I try and make each cake special in its own way. And there's so much you can do with them, with all the icing and supplies and whatnot."

"That's crazy," she said, gazing around. "I'd never be able to do something like that."

He shrugged and told her, "You never know. You said you'd never get good at art but I'd say you've gotten pretty talented. Who's to say you couldn't become an expert cake designer too?"

"Well, I wouldn't say expert," she argued with a smile. "Maybe an amateur, but nothing like an expert. And anyway.._.you're_ the expert."

He gave a small grin and led her farther inside near the back where all the organizing, arranging and preparing of the food went. As she observed the place, Katniss saw long tables, countertops, more than a few ovens and so many complex-looking machines that she couldn't even guess what they were used for. As they walked by, Peeta would stop and give her a brief explanation of what a particular contraption was used for. After he'd finished describing, she realized it didn't seem all that confusing after all and wondered if she really ever could know how to use some of them herself.

"I don't know about you," said Peeta. "But I definitely don't want to be studying on an empty stomach. Especially not when we're going to be reviewing-" here he gave an exaggerated shudder and said, "_Algebra_..._**ugh**_. I'll need something to get my brain power going. You mind if we do the baking before we start studying?"

"Oh, that's fine," said Katniss. "I never like studying on an empty stomach either."

After he'd given her a basic tour of the place, he stopped and turned to her with an excited smile and asked, "So...we've got all these materials and ingredients we can use. What would you like to make? Whatever you want, you name it."

"Hmm...it's hard to pick," she said, thinking it over. "Not an easy decision."

"Well, we've got lots to choose from," he said, and went through the list of treats they could make. "We've got cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, pastries, cupcakes...we could_ even_ have some raw cookie dough if you want. Wait...no, maybe not. That might not be such a great idea."

"I bet you eat it though," she chuckled. "Who _doesn't _love raw cookie dough?"

"Oh, I do," he admitted, but then gave a laugh and said, "But last time I did...I got extremely sick and ended up throwing up for almost half the night. Since then I've been kind of reluctant about giving it another try."

"We'd better avoid cookie dough then," was Katniss's answer.

"Agreed," said Peeta.

"Although cake sounds pretty nice," she told him.

"Okay," he said. "What kind of cake would you like? Chocolate? Vanilla? Marble? Spice, or—"

"Whoa, slow down!" she laughed. Peeta gave a light chuckle and after she'd thought for a moment, she suggested, "Chocolate sounds good."

"That's my favourite," he smiled. "Nothing beats chocolate."

There was a brief pause, before Katniss spoke up and said, "Should I just sit here and wait till it's done?"

"Don't you want to help?" asked Peeta innocently.

"Well, I've never really baked anything before," she told him honestly. "So I don't even know where to start."

"Aw, that's okay," said Peeta reassuringly. "Tell you what: we'll do everything together. I can do most of the work if you want and you can do some of the easier steps if that makes you more comfortable? Sound good?"

Katniss gave him a small smile and said, "Alright Mr. Baker."

Peeta laughed and said, "So I'm Mr. Baker, huh? Then that means I'll have to make you my assistant. Just give me one second."

Peeta left but was back an instant later. He was carrying two aprons; one was a deep green while the other was a soft orange. He got behind her and helped her tie up the string and when he got a look at her wearing it he couldn't hold back a playful grin.

"That's more like it!" he declared.

"You even knew green was my favourite color," said Katniss, sounding pleased. "You're pretty smart."

"Thank you," he said, sounding equally pleased. "Glad I could find the right one. Now onto the ingredients..."

Peeta dug through one of the cupboard drawers and finding the recipe he was searching for, dug it out and handed it to Katniss. While he went around getting everything they'd need, she couldn't help watching him. Her eyes refused to look away from him; his blond hair and the strands that fell in waves over his forehead, the bright blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean and his stocky build that he'd gained from years of working in the bakery. Though they'd only been officially together for a few days, it really felt more like they'd known each other for months. She thought back to when she'd first met Peeta in art class and how obviously shy she'd been, but quickly realized he wasn't the kind of guy to be shy around. He was so kind and humorous that it was pretty much impossible to not want to be around him.

When all the materials had been set on the table, Peeta took a quick look at the recipe and started off saying, "First things first, we pre-heat the oven."

Once this had been done, he returned to the recipe while coming up with simple, easy things that Katniss could help out with.

"You can grease this pan if you like," he said, holding the pan out to her. She took it and got to work greasing it. While she was busy doing this, Peeta went ahead and started mixing the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and vanilla essence into a large bowl. Following this, he proceeded to the next step which was to melt the butter at low heat, which he then added to the dry ingredients. The milk was eventually added and all he had left to add were the eggs.

"Care to do the cracking?" he offered.

"I guess there isn't much to get wrong with _that,_" she said and picked up one of the eggs. She got up out of her chair and walked over towards the bowl and for whatever reason she just couldn't figure out – she dropped the egg. Whether she'd been in the process of possibly slipping, or out of the blue her hand just felt slippery, she had no idea. All she knew was that she'd dropped it.

"_Crap_!" she blurted out.

"Hey, that's okay," said Peeta, struggling not to burst out laughing. He didn't want Katniss to think he was laughing at her, because he absolutely wasn't. What was funny was that it reminded him of when he was little and growing up and how he always seemed to be dropping things. Sometimes he'd accidently let the bag of flour tip over the countertop and watch in shock as it spilled all over the floor. Other times he'd try and carry the bowl of ingredients itself only to have that result in him dropping the bowl because it proved too heavy for him. His father always got a real charge out of it, especially because his son's reactions were always so hilariously over the top.

Peeta could hear himself as a kid pointing to the floor and exclaiming in disappointment to his father, "Dad, look what I did! I let it spill all over the floor and now we'll never be able to make a cake. What are we going to _do_?"

Luckily his dad –who'd be laughing hysterically – would say, "Not a problem. We'll just get some more ingredients and make another one."

It was remembering this that Peeta couldn't keep from laughing. Katniss watched him curiously, and asked, "You think it's _that_ funny?"

"No, no it's not that," he said, but the laughter just kept on coming. "I just remember when I was a kid and how I'd always be dropping things and I used to think we'd never be able to make another cake again, as if we'd never get more ingredients. Funny, huh?"

Katniss gave an amused laugh and said, "That _is_ funny."

"But we've got plenty of eggs, so we've got enough," he explained. He handed her a second egg and with a friendly wink said jokingly, "Don't drop it."

Katniss rolled her eyes and with a smile, successfully cracked the egg and dropped it in the bowl, which was then followed by two more. Peeta gave his hands a light clap and exclaimed, "Way to go! I knew you could do it!"

"Yes, I'm sure you did," said Katniss, giving him the tiniest of a smirk. She then threw in, "Mr. Baker."

"Well, let's have Mr. Baker put this cake in the oven," said Peeta. "Then once it's done, we'll get started on that algebra." It took him only a minute to quickly pour the batter into two nine inch pans, throw them in the oven and set the timer for half an hour.

"Bet you're gonna _love_ that," said Katniss teasingly.

"_Ugh_, not really," he told her, but gave her a smile and said, "But at least I've got you as my teacher. Professor Everdeen: Math Genius."

"Oh yeah? How about Professor Mellark: Expert at All Things to do with Art."

"Hmm, not a bad title," he commented and added with a laugh, "Maybe if I manage to become an Artist one day, I'll make that my official identify."

While the two waited for the cake to finish baking, they went ahead and started flipping through Katniss's notes and pulling out ones that they'd need for Monday's test. Peeta couldn't help point out how neat and organized Katniss was with her notes (almost everything was highlighted in different colors) and she told him she'd been like that since she was little.

"I try to be organized," said Peeta. "But compared to you, well... let's just say I'm kind of messy. But at least I never lose things. My friend Marvel's lost about five assignments and it's only one month into the school year."

"You're not _that _bad then," said Katniss. "As long as you're not losing stuff, then you're fine."

After a while of picking out notes and giving them a quick look-over, the timer went off with a consistent _BEEEEEEP._ Peeta turned it off and got himself a large oven mitt from one of the table drawers before opening up the oven door. The smell of chocolate and sweetness hit Katniss's nose instantly and without even realizing it, her mouth was starting to water. Once the cake was out of the oven and set on the countertop, Peeta gathered some things they'd need to decorate it. When he found what he wanted, he came back and Katniss saw he'd gotten chocolate frosting, a variety of sprinkles of different shapes, colors and sizes and even some sliced strawberries to plant around the outer edges.

"Just got to wait twenty minutes for it to cool," said Peeta, taking a seat next to Katniss.

"_Twenty _minutes?" she asked in disappointment. The look and smell of the cake was driving her insane and she wasn't sure she'd be able to wait that long. "Really?"

"Mhm," said Peeta. "If we tried frosting it now, it would just end up all messy. Better to wait until it's cooled. Let's take another look at those algebra notes then, shall we?"

The twenty minutes certainly went by faster than Katniss had expected. She knew it was a good thing to have Peeta around in times of impatience because he did such a good job distracting and keeping one's mind off things.

"Now comes the fun part," said Peeta eagerly. He handed her a frosting tube while getting one for himself and slowly and carefully began his work on the cake. "We decorate it."

"What if I don't frost it right?" she asked him.

"Don't worry," said Peeta. "There's no right or wrong way to frost a cake. The important thing is that there's frosting on it when you're done. Doesn't matter how much."

Katniss nodded and got to work frosting her side of the cake with Peeta continued with his. With the two of them working together, it didn't take long till the cake was completely covered in the brown frosting. Peeta did a quick inspection of their work and smiled, pleased with what they'd done. He then went through the various sprinkles and gave some to Katniss. They were tiny and shaped as all sorts of things like stars, swirls, animals, hearts and letters. She wasn't quite sure how Peeta wanted them placed on the cake, or if he preferred them in particular spots.

"Put them wherever you like," he said. "Top bottom, sides...doesn't matter. I always like to do things a little random when I'm baking for fun anyway. Obviously I can't do that with the cakes that people would buy, but when it's just me eating it, half the time I'm so hungry I throw on some frosting and sprinkles and that's good enough for me." He then chuckled and added, "Besides, it all goes down the same way, right?"

She let out a laugh and said, "Yeah, makes sense. Alright...random it is then."

When the cake was finally complete, it was a scrumptious-looking treat with chocolate frosting, hundreds of sprinkles and topped off with fresh strawberries. Peeta had all but one last thing he wanted to do before confirming that it was officially done. He took out a pink icing tube and positioned it on top of the cake.

"Care to have something written on it?" he requested with a smile.

"Sure. Did you have anything in mind?"

"I did actually," he said and immediately got to work. It was clear Peeta knew what he was doing because it only took him a minute or two before he'd finished writing it. When he stepped aside so Katniss could take a look, she just laughed and shook her head as if she hadn't expected this.

"_**Peeta and Katniss's Cake**_?" she told him, unable to stop laughing. "That's not very original!"

"Sure it is," he threw back, amused by her reaction. "How many cakes have you seen around here that have _'Peeta and Katniss's Cake'_ written on them?"

"Well...none," she admitted, and when Peeta gave her another one of his adorable grins she couldn't hide the flush of red showing on her cheeks. There was no denying that he'd seen it, but he only gave her a warm smile and said, "Wanna head upstairs?"

"Shouldn't we do up the dishes?" she asked. There were certainly a lot of pots, pans and utensils that needed a good washing and drying, but he only shook his head as if it weren't a problem.

"That's okay," said Peeta. "I'll do all that later. It never takes me that long to clean up anyway."

While Peeta took the cake and Katniss carried two plates, forks and a knife, they made their way upstairs where he led her into the living room. He gestured for her to take a seat wherever she wanted, and she chose to sit in a comfortable-looking loveseat. She took a quick, curious look around at the place and in those few seconds decided that the place seemed pretty cozy, but then returned her attention to Peeta. He set the plate down on the table and took a seat in the loveseat as well while reaching down and pulling up his bag. He opened it, dug inside and got out his binder and textbook. He rummaged through and finding the notes he was looking for, put them next to Katniss's. It was then that he noticed that her eyes weren't focused on the papers – they were entirely on the cake.

"Can we haves some now?" she asked hungrily.

Peeta thought for a moment and then said calmly, "No."

"What do you mean _no_?" she asked, confused, and a bit impatiently. "I thought that's what we made it for? To eat while we study?"

"It was," said Peeta. "But we _really _should get some studying done first. How about this: We'll study for an hour and_ then_ have some cake."

"Fine," she grumbled, and Peeta couldn't resist from laughing at her eagerness.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "The cake's not going anywhere." He then asked more seriously while flipping through the pile of notes. "So where should we start? Variables? Linear equations? Slopes and intercepts?

"Let's start with something simple," she suggested. "Variables?"

"Sounds good to me," said Peeta.

So the two went ahead and reviewed all the notes and key points they'd written down in class. They began by comparing notes and then moved forward with making up questions and getting the other to answer them. Peeta wasn't surprised when Katniss devoured one problem after another and the fact that she didn't get a single one wrong was even less of a surprise. Peeta got most of his right, and the few ones that he'd struggled with, Katniss went through them and pointed out what he'd missed or overlooked. In all, they covered four topics by spending fifteen minutes on each but when it was all done and they'd answered multiple questions, it was obvious that Katniss was tired of waiting.

"Finally," she said excitedly. She stood up and got herself a plate and fork and wasting no time, began to cut herself a slice of cake. Peeta remained sitting, as he wasn't in so much of a hurry. He liked watching Katniss and the hungry look in her eyes that told him she was dying to try it. When she'd gotten her piece, he quickly helped himself to one and flopped down next to her.

She shoved her fork into the cake and raised it to her mouth. She chewed, swallowed and closed her eyes as she let out a satisfied, "_Mmmmm_."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Peeta chuckled.

"This is _amazing_," she told him. "The frosting, strawberries, icing...everything. It's all perfect."

"Not bad if I do say so myself," he said cheerily. "Then again, I had you as my assistant. Couldn't have done it without you."

"Oh, please," she said, taking another bite. "You've made hundreds of cakes. You could've made this one on your own too."

"Nope," he told her. "I needed your help with this one."

"And why's that?"

"Because it's _Peeta and Katniss's Cake_?" he said, beaming. "Remember?"

"Oh, yeah," she said giving him a grin. "Almost forgot. Guess I should have—" but she stopped what she'd been going to say and instead burst out laughing. Peeta stared at her curiously and a little puzzled.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"It's your—" but she only ended up laughing even harder. She didn't even try to finish her sentence.

"I insist to know what's so funny!" he said firmly, but playfully.

"Your...your face," she blurted out, on the verge of laughing yet again. "You've got chocolate _all_ over your lips!"

"Ah, I get it," said Peeta with a wide smile. "So I've got chocolate lips then?"

"Pretty much," was her answer.

"Guess I'd better fix that," said Peeta, who was just about to lick it off, when Katniss stopped him and said, "Wait..."

"You like how it looks?" he asked jokingly.

"I was wondering if you'd like some help with it."

Peeta watched her expression, trying to figure out what she meant and it hit him instantly. He continued staring at her and though she hadn't even moved yet, he felt the familiar tingling of butterflies that fluttered in his stomach; it was something that _only_ happened when he was around Katniss. He would have kept staring at her for as long as she'd allow if she hadn't slowly started inching her way closer to him. The sensation inside him was beginning to intensify and he figured if she got any closer to him, his whole body would explode in seconds. As she moved in closer, he simply held his gaze on hers and without a word she took his face in both of her hands. Caressing his cheek lightly, she lowered her eyes to his lips and feeling that the burning passion was too much to handle, she claimed them as her own. The warmth and softness of his lips that she'd experienced yesterday down at the lake was washing over her once again. Only this time, the fire was growing and as she sat there kissing Peeta Mellark, nothing else seemed to matter; all she cared about was getting as close to him as possible. Along with the familiar taste of his lips came the sweet chocolate that covered them, which she had taken care of within seconds.

When she separated from him, she was suddenly feeling bold and curious and not wanting to ignore it, she inched even closer towards him. He didn't speak or question what she was doing but she could definitely tell by the look in his eyes that he was..._curious_ too. It wasn't until Katniss had gently and carefully positioned herself on top of him – her hands still cupping his face – that he had to interrupt.

"Katniss?" he whispered.

"Yeah?" she asked, her voice also in a whisper.

"I...I thought we wanted to take things _slow_?" Peeta reminded her.

"I-I do," she said, her hand trailing down to his neck where she felt the warmth radiating against her skin. "This just felt...right. I can't really explain it."

Peeta nodded and asked her gently, "But are you okay being like this? You don't mind this? We're not moving too quickly?"

"No," she said softly, and continued stroking his neck. She didn't stop there, though. Slowly, she moved her hands back up to his face where she ran them through the mass of blond hair that felt so soft in her fingers. Peeta seemed to almost forget where he was or what was happening, as if Katniss being this close to him felt more like a dream than the reality that it was. He lifted his hands up and put them on her waist and before he had time to think much else, her lips were on his once again. He brushed them against hers and relished in the amazing fact that after so many years of waiting, Katniss Everdeen was finally his.

It was when they drew apart that Peeta chuckled quietly, "We won't get much studying done if we keep _this_ up."

Katniss gave a smile and assured him, "We will. I just...wanted us to _enjoy_ this."

Peeta rested his forehead against hers, closed his eyes and said affectionately, "I _**love **_you, Katniss." The love and passion in his voice made Katniss was to melt simply because everything he said, every word he spoke...was nothing but the truth. He _loved_ her.

She was all too quick to respond, "I love you too, Peeta. I know I've already said this, but...I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Don't apologize," he told her, gently running his hand down her back. Shivers went up her spine and all she could think was that the only place she wanted to be right then was with Peeta.

"Better get studying," he smiled. She lifted herself off of him and the two went back to studying and spent the rest of the afternoon reading and reviewing notes. After spending an entire afternoon focusing on algebra, both felt they were as ready as they could be for Monday's test. It was around 6 o'clock that Katniss had to be heading home, and Peeta had to get started on cleaning up the dishes.

As she stood by the door with her bag over her shoulder, Peeta felt he couldn't spend enough time with her, as if the time they did spend together just wasn't enough.

"Thanks for coming over," he said sincerely. "It's great having a partner to study with."

"No problem," said Katniss. "Maybe we'll study together for tests from now on."

Peeta gave her a smile, wrapped her in a tight hug and said, "I'd like that." A few moments later, after he'd given her a kiss goodbye, she was out the door and on her way home. He wished the two could meet up to study again tomorrow, but both had plans and since they'd be busy for almost the entire day, they couldn't squeeze in any last bit of studying.

It only took Peeta about twenty minutes to get the dishes washed, dried and put away. Before he knew it, his parents and two brothers were home and the five had a late supper. Feeling tired and in need of a good sleep, Peeta went up to his room and jumped into bed. He was all ready to doze off and head into dreamland when the screaming voice of the hawk came crawling into his head. He tried to ignore it and convince himself he was hearing things...but it was far from the truth. Gale's furious shouting had invaded his mind and along with that came the sharp, killer talons of the vicious creature. The beating wings that so desperately reached out to grab a hold of him never stopped flapping. Worst of all, the madness and insanity of the hawk's glaring, unblinking eyes was truly haunting. Luckily, he fell asleep fast enough and was relieved to find himself in pleasant, enjoyable visions where Katniss was constantly by his side...and the hawk was nowhere to be seen.

When Monday rolled around and the test had been written, both Peeta and Katniss felt confident that they'd done well. When the results came back that Thursday, Peeta was rewarded with a B+ and Katniss received an A-. The studying and reviewing of notes had definitely paid off.

Later that day while Peeta was browsing the web on his phone, he got a sudden message from Katniss. It read, "_Hey, Peeta. There's a game with a bunch of my friends and yours going on tomorrow at Glimmer's place. She's throwing a party and Madge, Johanna, Glimmer, Clove, Cato and Marvel are gonna be there. They wanted me to ask if you'd be interested in playing? I wasn't sure if I wanted to at first, but...what the heck? It's just a game."_

Wondering what kind of game it would be, he texted back, "_Sure. What's the game?_"

"_Truth or Dare_..."


	12. Truth or Dare Part 1

Chapter 12: Truth or Dare (Part 1)

When Friday had rolled around and the school day was officially done, Peeta and Katniss hopped in the back seat of Glimmer's car (which was pink, considering how girly and fashion-obsessed of a girl Glimmer was); also with them were Johanna and Madge. A party was being held at Glimmer's that day and they pretty much had the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening to themselves since both her parents had gone out for the day. It was always an exciting time when Glimmer threw a party because as most people knew, no one in the school put on a show quite like her. That night, however, wasn't meant to be one of her usual, invite-as-many-people-as-you-can kind of event. She had a set number of people that she'd invited that consisted of: Madge, Johanna, Cato, Clove, Marvel, Katniss and Peeta. She'd wanted to invite Delly, but was told by Peeta that she was away for the weekend with her parents and wouldn't be returning till Monday.

When they were all in the car, Glimmer looked back to Katniss and asked, "Oh, yeah. Forget to tell you that Gale asked to come as well."

"Gale?" she said, surprised.

"He texted me last minute saying he wanted to come. Said he didn't want to miss out on such an awesome time. You're still friends with him, right?"

"Well...I guess," she said slowly. What she was really concerned with was the fact that Gale knew just like anyone else that she and Peeta were now together, yet he was claiming he wanted to come to this truth or dare event? The whole thing just seemed odd and confusing. For whatever reason Gale would _want_ to come to this event, she hadn't a clue. The two were hardly speaking much anymore due to Gale's constant fits of anger at her choosing Peeta over himself. She had the feeling that if he was indeed coming to this party, then it would only prove extremely uncomfortable for her at having to be around him. But she knew she'd just have to put up with it and not let it ruin the fun.

"You guys haven't been talking much," Madge said quietly. She of course knew that Katniss and Peeta were together and because she was friends with Gale, she practically knew the whole situation.

"Yeah, I just...need a break from him," Katniss told her. "At least till he cools down a bit."

Peeta didn't say much but rather, let Katniss and Madge do the talking. It wasn't that he didn't feel like joining in, but it felt pretty awkward when the whole reason Gale was a raging fury and acting like that toward Katniss was because of..._him._ The anger, jealousy and bitterness that was consuming Gale was completely because of Peeta and he felt the best thing he could do was keep quiet and when the time came...try not to look Gale in the eyes. He was afraid that if he did, he'd just be struck with more images of the screeching, ruthless hawk that was constantly attempting to rip his eyes out or tear him to shreds.

When they were pulling up to Glimmer's house, they saw Cato and the others had already arrived. Cato was standing next to his car and with him were Marvel, Clove...and Gale. When Glimmer got out of her car, she walked over to them and was immediately followed by Madge, Johanna, Katniss and Peeta. Katniss made brief eye contact with Gale while Peeta simply kept his eyes on either everyone else or the ground.

"Hey!" Glimmer said excitedly. "Glad you could come."

"Well, I'm not one to miss out on a party," grinned Cato. "But I'm sure you already know that, don't you Glim?"

"Oh, we _all _know that," laughed Johanna. "Don't have to remind us."

"Hey, Catnip," said Gale, giving a fake smile.

"Hi," was all she said. There was no expression on her face whatsoever. She remained calm and emotionless.

"So you're up for a party huh?" he asked.

She shrugged and said, "I wasn't doing anything else, so I figured why not?"

"And how about you, Peeta?" said Gale. He locked his grey eyes on Peeta's bright blue ones and in that second, Peeta saw the raging hawk reaching out to snatch him up with its killer talons. Its wings were beating furiously and its knife-like beak was desperately trying to jab at his eyes and make him go blind.

"Didn't want to miss out," was all Peeta could say. He was somehow able to keep his voice calm and normal, and that in itself felt like an accomplishment. He was always an expert with words but when it came to the hawk, he felt a bit shaky and unsteady.

"Course you _wouldn't_," said Gale, and Peeta could hear the venom in his voice that only _he_ could hear. To everyone else, it was all but invisible.

"Alright, let's get inside!" said Glimmer, and led the group into the house.

For an hour or two, the nine of them spent their time listening to music, eating what unique, tasty treats Glimmer had prepared for them and generally doing what most did at parties. Since it was still mid-afternoon, neighbours didn't mind a bit of loud music but come night-time, if it was still blaring loudly then one wouldn't hesitate to call and complain. Most people didn't like to complain but they also didn't like to have to try and get some sleep with the constant, booming sound of music blasting in their eyes. But this wouldn't be a problem because they only planned on partying for the first hour or two but after that, they'd get to the real fun of the event...which was truth or dare.

While Peeta and Katniss were having some fun dancing, they caught sight of Johanna approaching them. Gale was off chatting with Cato and Marvel but every now and then he'd shift his gaze over to Katniss dancing with Peeta and the undeniable look of happiness on her face. Peeta was just twirling Katniss around and expertly pulling her back into his arms when Johanna said slyly, "Havin' a good time lovebirds?"

Peeta nodded; he didn't catch the mischievous gleam in Johanna's eye.

"So how long have you two been going out?" she asked curiously. "A week, right?"

"That's right," said Peeta, focusing more on where he moved his feet than Johanna's questions.

"Don't you think it's time you two had a bit more...fun?" she grinned.

"Define 'fun'," said Peeta, giving her a serious, slightly suspicious look.

"Wouldn't you like to see _all_ of Miss Everdeen?" she said bluntly, but teasingly. "You know...what's under _**all**_ those _clothes_?"

"_Johanna!_" snapped Peeta. He shot her an annoyed, but embarrassed look and no one could miss the deep shade of red now showing on his cheeks. He was just thankful and _extremely_ relieved that nothing noticeable was showing from _**under**_ his _pants._

"_Thank goodness for that_," thought Peeta, his mind immediately relaxing. "_What are you trying to do to me anyway, Johanna? __**Completely embarrass**_ me in front of _**everyone**_?"

"Hey, just saying," she said casually. "You think you two would want a bit more fun?"

"Yeah, well, we've decided we'd like to take things slowly," Peeta told her. "Don't want to rush into things we aren't _ready_ for." He then broke out in an amused smile and said, "I'm sure that disappoints _you_, though, doesn't it?"

"No, not really," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She crept closer to Peeta, leaned into his ear and said in joking whisper, "But I know what you _really_ want, Peeta. What you want more than anything is to get right down to it and—"

"_Alright!_" said Peeta, giving her a light shove. "That's _enough_ from you, Johanna!"

He turned his attention back to Katniss and chuckled lightly, "Oh, the things she'll say..."

Katniss gave a smile in return and said with a roll of her eyes, "Only Johanna..."

She gave them one of her usual, amused winks and left to see who else she could stir up some fun, but naughty trouble with.

About two hours later, the nine of them were in Glimmer's upstairs living room sitting in a wide circle. Peeta and Katniss were of course sitting next to one another and Peeta knew without a doubt that Gale was screaming inside at the sight of them. He was sitting next to Johanna, who was always an interesting person to have conversations with but right then, he didn't care. Whenever he could, he stole looks of hatred at Peeta Mellark but was quick as lightning to glance away if Katniss looked in his direction.

"Well," said Clove, staring around, not looking or sounding the least bit nervous. "Where should we start Glimmer?"

"I was thinking we'd do three rounds," she explained. "The first round will be nothing but gross. The second will be random; whatever you think of just throw it out there. And the third round is when things will start heating up a bit."

"Hmm...sounds intriguing," said Johanna. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Oh, sure," said Glimmer casually and with a devious smile, said, "Round three will be all things..._sexual_."

"_**Oh no**_!" said Marvel in mock fear. This earned an amused laugh from Cato, which caused Marvel to laugh and soon the whole group was guffawing. All Peeta and Katniss did was give each other a quiet look, but even they let out a small chuckle. The only one who didn't laugh for long was Gale. As soon as he noticed Katniss and Peeta eyeing each other, his gaze turned razor sharp and the hawk inside him was begging to get its pointed claws on bread boy and make a meal out of him. But like always, this sudden fit of rage ended just as quickly as it began and once again he was calm and with a smile on his face.

Johanna nodded and said, "Perfect. Let's get this started then."

Peeta gave Katniss a friendly nudge and whispered in her ear, "I bet you anything they're going to try and make ours the worst, since we're together and all. Better get ready..."

"Oh, I will," she assured him, keeping her voice low. "Count on it."

"Hey, Glimmer," said Clove. "Mind if I go first?"

"Sure, whatever," said Glimmer. "Start off with something good, okay? Remember...think _**gross**_."

Clove gave a sly smirk and turned to Glimmer and said, "Glimmer. Truth or Dare?"

"You gotta be kidding me," said Glimmer with a groan, but answered, "Uhh...dare."

"Lovely," said Clove. "Stick your finger between your toes, then in both your armpits...and then lick it."

Cato and Marvel both burst out laughing and kept their eyes on Glimmer while waiting for her reaction.

"Oh, is that it?" she said, sounding like it was simple. "That's nothing."

"Then go ahead and do it," said Clove.

All eyes were now on Glimmer. She gave another groan that clearly told everyone that she was grossed out, but she didn't back down. She lowered her fingers down to her toes and while scrunching up her face, she placed her fingers between her toes. The look on her face was all too hilarious and when she had to proceed to putting them under her armpits, Cato and Marvel started hooting with excitement. Peeta and Katniss watched and all they could wonder was, "What's coming for _us_?"

Hesitating only for a second, Glimmer stuck her fingers inside her mouth and kept them there for the few seconds that Clove had demanded...and then yanked them out.

"_Ewwww_," she grumbled.

"Well done, Glim," said Clove with a smirk.

"My turn now!" said Glimmer and looked straight to Cato. "Hello Cato. Truth or Dare?"

"You think I'm scared of a stupid dare?" he challenged boldly. "Bring it on."

"Alrighty then," said Glimmer. "Be right back."

When she'd returned, she was holding a spoon which she put in the center of the circle.

"I want everyone to spit on that spoon which Cato will then rub all over his forehead."

"That's the best you've got?" said Cato. "Alright, guys. Spit away..."

As Glimmer went around the circle holding the spoon out, each of them took turns spitting onto it while Cato sat there looking bored and as if he were actually looking _forward_ to it. He tapped his fingers on the wooden floor while waiting in silence. That wasn't a surprise. It was rare that Cato ever showed signs of fear, discomfort or intimidation. In a word, he was the definition of badass.

When he held the spoon out in front of him, he gave her a wink and took the spoon. He raised it to his forehead and with an actual smile on his head he began to rub it all over his skin. It was wet, gooey, disgusting...and Cato was smiling.

"Rub it in good, Cato," teased Johanna. "Don't be shy."

"Oh, I'm not," he assured her. He then commented, "I _love _the feel of spit."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do," laughed Marvel, nudging him in the shoulder. "Bet you would've eaten the stuff if Glimmer dared you to."

"You know it," was all Cato said.

A few seconds later, he lowered the spoon and dropped it on the floor.

"So...now it's my turn," said Cato. His forehead was now covered in the wet spit but by the way he acted, one would think he'd rubbed sweet sugar on his skin. "Let's see. Who should I pick on...?"

He scanned the circle, searching for his victim and then his eyes fell on Hawthorne.

"Gale," he said finally. "You up for some fun?"

"You know I am," was his answer.

"Great," said Cato. "Truth or dare then?"

"Let's keep the pattern going," said Gale boldly. "Dare."

"Great," said Cato. He pulled a penny out of his pocket and held it up for Gale to see. "Here's your dare then: Go push this penny around a toilet seat...with your tongue."

Gale got up, walked over to Cato and took the penny out of his hand. He gave a quick look around at everyone else and then started off towards to the bathroom.

"Let's go then," he called back to them. "Don't want to miss it."

In a minute, Gale was on his knees in front of the bathroom toilet with the penny already in place. Standing around him were Madge, Johanna, Glimmer, Clove, Cato, Marvel, Peeta and Katniss; they were all ready for an amusing show. Peeta wasn't smiling, however. He knew if the hawk caught him even smiling a little bit, then he'd most likely risk getting a nasty punch to the head later on.

"Alright, Hawthorne," said Cato crossing his arms and giving an amused smile. "Show us whatcha got."

Hardly a few seconds had gone by before Gale had his head dropped and his tongue out. He then began pushing the penny around the seat while being careful not to let it slide over the edges. While most stood laughing and pointing at the hilarious sight, Peeta was frozen in place when he saw Gale's head suddenly whip around. Gone was the face of Hawthorne. In its place were the beady, unblinking eyes of the hawk and its beak was open in a raging screech. No one else could see the fury...but Peeta could. The hawk didn't want the others to see; the transformation of Gale into the monster bird was a thing meant _only_ for Peeta.

"_Bet you're fuckin' loving this, aren't ya, Mellark?_" he thought to himself. "_Well guess what, Bread Boy? You got __**yours**__ comin' later...and it's gonna be a lot worse than whatever these guys got planned for ya. Fuck this Truth or Dare shit...you're gettin' __**worse**__. So much worse. You just wait till Katniss is gone, the others are gone...and you and your vulnerable self are all alone. Then you'll see..."_

Peeta heard the voice of the hawk fading, but not before it gave one last hiss of, "_What I wouldn't give to just stick your fuckin' little head in this thing and flush you into nothing."_

When Gale had finished his dare, he took the penny off the toilet and held it out for the others to see. He chuckled and said, "Bet you're all dying to get your hands on it after seeing me do that."

"I'll pass thanks," said Johanna.

"Your turn Gale," said Marvel. "Who you gonna pick for the next torture?"

"Oh, that's easy," said Gale with a cunning grin.

"_He's gonna pick me_," thought Peeta immediately. "_I just know it. No way he'd pick anyone else. All he_ _cares about is __**me**__..._"

But when Gale revealed who he had in mind, Peeta was surprised and thankful that it wasn't him after all.

"Johanna," said Gale, and turned to her still wearing that cunning grin on his face. "So what'll it be? Truth or dare?"

"You think I'm gonna stop the wicked pattern we got going on?" she shot back. "Dare."

"I think I've got just the right thing for you," Gale told her.

"And what's that, Hawthorne?" she said, sounding bored.

"Well, since you're so fond of dogs and all," Gale went on. "How about you show us all how much you really love dogs by eating some dog food? Surely that's not a problem for you."

"Can't be any worse than touching a dirty, filthy old penny with your tongue," she reckoned casually. "Care to get the chow, Glimmer?"

"I'd _love _to."

When Glimmer returned with a plate covered with a couple of dog treats, Johanna stared down at them and licked her lips hungrily. The others watched curiously and were dying to see how she was going to pull off not revealing just how nasty the stuff would taste.

"Watch and learn, folks," she said and wasted no time in lifting the plate up to her face and picking off one of the treats. Once it was in her mouth, she spent a few seconds chewing and she shut her eyes for only a moment before swallowing and moving on to the next ones. There was no stopping this gal. Before anyone knew, the entire plate of food had been devoured and Johanna had barely shown signs of disgust.

"Thanks for that, Gale," she said with a victorious smile. "Nothin' like a bit of grub."

"Anytime," said Gale with a smirk.

"And now to my turn," said Johanna, rubbing her hands together with excitement. "Let's see. How about you, Clove? You're sitting there awfully quiet? Let's see what I can do for you. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," said Clove without hesitation.

"Man, this'll be sweet," said Johanna deviously. "Alright, Clove. For this dare, I'd like you to lick peanut butter from someone else's toes."

"Whose toes?" asked Clove.

"Cato's," was Johanna's answer.

"Oh, _God_," Clove muttered, then said a bit louder, "That guy's feet probably _stink_..."

"That they do, Clove," laughed Cato, amused by Clove's reaction. "That they do. Thank god it's you doing the licking and not me because personally, I don't really feel like running my tongue all over someone's toes right now. You have fun with it though!"

"Oh, don't worry," said Clove sarcastically. "I will."

"I'll get the peanut butter!" said Glimmer excitedly.

Madge leaned over to Katniss and told her, "Get ready. One of us will be next."

"Bet you anything we're gonna get the worst," she answered.

"I'm sure of that," Peeta threw in. "What's the saying? Always save the best for last? Guess that's us..."

"Let's hope they're not _too_ cruel with us," said Katniss.

"I wouldn't bet on that, Kat," said Madge. "Look what they've done _so_ far."

When Glimmer returned with the peanut butter and a butter knife, she began spreading drops of the gooey stuff in-between Cato's toes. She didn't just do one foot either; she did both. Clove watched with no expression but in her mind she was thinking, "_Fuck...fuck...fuck."_

"There you go, Clove," said Cato, raising one of his feet and waving it at her. "They're all yours."

"I hope you wash those things," said Clove flatly.

Cato shrugged and said, "Don't matter. Either way...you gotta lick 'em. So get licking."

Clove gave him a dirty look but bent her head down so she was merely inches from his peanut-butter-covered toes. She wrinkled her nose and everyone could tell that she'd _really_ rather not have do this particular dare, but if she refused she'd just get faced with an even harder and even worse dare. So she sucked it up and got to work licking off the bits of peanut butter wedged between his toes. Luckily all she could smell was the peanut butter because the last thing she wanted hitting her nose was some nasty stench that only confirmed that Cato _was_ lazy when it came to washing his feet.

After a few minutes, the peanut butter had been licked entirely off Cato's toes and Clove had proven that not only did she kick ass at sports, she kicked ass at truth or dare as well.

"How about you, Marvel?" said Clove. "Wanna go next?"

"You know it."

"Alright then," said Clove. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare all the way man," said Marvel. "Gotta keep the pattern going. Now give me your worst."

"You'll probably hate me for this," said Clove slyly. "But I wanna see you squirm. Your dare's this: I want you to coat your tongue with pepper and then swallow it. _All_ of it."

Marvel shook his head and said, "You're bad."

"The worst," said Clove with a touch of arrogance.

When Glimmer walked into the room holding the pepper shaker, she gave Marvel a little wink. Once the dare was complete, it would join everything else on the table: the tub of peanut butter, the spoon that had held everyone's saliva, the plate with the dog food that had been polished clean by Johanna and the filthy, dirty penny that Gale had pushed around the toilet seat with his tongue.

Clove grabbed the pepper shaker and strode right up to Marvel.

"Open up wide," was all she said. "And say _ahhhhhh_."

"Uh, I'll pass on that last part," said Marvel flatly. But he opened his mouth, stuck his tongue out (without saying _ahhhh_) and before he had time to re-think it, he felt the tiny specks dropping onto his tongue. Clove made sure to really coat Marvel's tongue good and not leave an inch of his tongue uncovered. Marvel sat there with his mouth wide open, not wanting to think about the truly unpleasant taste he was soon about to experience.

"Swallow!" Clove demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

As everyone sat watching quietly, Marvel gave Clove an annoyed glare but didn't back down and went ahead and did exactly that. Only a few seconds passed before a look of shock came over his face and he started gasping and coughing. He asked Clove if he could have a drink of water but she refused and told him simply, "Sorry pal. That's not part of the dare."

"Man, that's bad," Madge said to Katniss. "I mean, licking peanut butter and eating dog food is gross. But to swallow _that _much pepper? Yuck is all I have to say."

"Glad that's not my dare," Katniss replied.

"But ours could be worse," Peeta reminded her. "They haven't even gotten to us yet. Wonder what they've got in store for us?"

Katniss gave him a worried look and said, "Guess we're gonna find out..."

"Katniss!"

Katniss glanced over and saw Marvel looking in her direction.

"I'm next huh?" she asked.

"Yup," said Marvel. "Truth or dare Everdeen?"

"Hope you guys don't mind if I break the pattern," she said, trying to sound bold. "But I think I'll go with truth for this one."

"Truth, is it?" said Marvel, and a mischievous grin was crossing his face. He gave Johanna a quick look and she too was wearing the same look of mischievousness.

"Hey, Glimmer," said Marvel suddenly. "Mind if I bend the rules a bit? I know you wanted gross for round one, but I was thinking maybe we'd make an exception. That okay?"

"Sure," she said casually. "Go for it. Do whatever you want."

"Oh, _crap_," was all Katniss could think. "Maybe I should have picked dare..."

"Oh, this'll be good," said Marvel, and the excitement was all too obvious in his voice. "Alright, Miss Everdeen. Here's what I'd like you to tell me and _remember! _Give nothing but the truth."

"Just say it!" Katniss insisted. She wanted to get the truth over with as quickly and rapidly as possible. Marvel didn't wait any longer and cut right to the chase.

"Do you wanna have _**sex **_with _Peeta Mellark_?"

"Come on, Katniss!" said Johanna eagerly. "Out with it already, out with it! Don't keep us waiting!"

"Ooooh, she's turning red!" said Cato teasingly. "Can only mean _one_ thing, guys!"


	13. Truth or Dare Part 2

Chapter 13: Truth or Dare (Part 2)

It was true. Katniss's face had gone obviously red and by the looks on everyone's faces, she'd gone _extremely _red. The only three people who weren't throwing out remarks were Madge, Peeta...and Gale. Madge was sitting on Katniss' left and gave her a quiet look of sympathy as if she could sense just how embarrassed her friend was. Peeta sat on her right and he too was just as quiet. He kept his eyes to the floor and hardly looked anyone in the eye for fear that they'd see that he too was glowing red in the face. Gale was silent as well and all he could do was keep his razor sharp glare on Peeta as he waited furiously for Katniss to reveal the truth...the truth that he already knew the answer to.

"She _definitely_ wants it!" said Glimmer, with the same excitement.

"Come on, Katniss," said Marvel, sounding impatient while he tapped his fingers against the floor. "We're waiting..."

Katniss knew she couldn't lie to them. She couldn't, especially not when she was sitting there with her cheeks so clearly red. How could she possibly begin to tell them what they knew would be an out and out lie? No, she had to go with what Marvel had demanded and that was the truth.

"_Yes_," she blurted out and anyone could hear the embarrassment in her voice, as it was nearly impossible to miss. "I wanna have sex with him! But not_ right_ now! Okay? Later on! Happy now...?"

"Knew it!" said Johanna.

"So if it's true," said Cato with a grin. "Does that mean we get to see some action?"

"I already told you I don't to _right_ now," Katniss told him. "We_ just_ started going out!"

Peeta had been silent up till now, but he couldn't let them embarrass his Katniss any more than necessary, so he spoke up and made sure to sound bold.

"No," said Peeta firmly. "If you want some action, then _you_ go make it happen _yourself_."

"Can't expect that from them, Cato," Johanna explained to him. "They both agreed that they want to take things slow. The most you'd be lucky to see is a bit of kissing."

"But where's the fun in _that_?" he asked.

"Really," Glimmer added.

"Not anyone wants to rush into sex, guys," Madge explained. "Maybe some of you guys don't mind it, but that's not the same for everyone."

"Yeah, but still..." said Glimmer. "Maybe if they just—"

"Okay, guys," said Peeta, interrupting. He was desperate to get off the topic and could hardly imagine how embarrassed Katniss was feeling, so the least he could do was get them off the conversation completely. It didn't help that he was pretty embarrassed himself. "Mind if we move onto the next person?"

"Alright," said Glimmer. "That'd be you, Katniss. It's your turn."

"Okay," said Katniss. "Guess there's only two people left to go: Madge and Peeta."

"Pick me," said Madge. "I'm curious to see what you'd get me to do."

"You it is then," said Katniss. "Truth or dare?"

"Let's get back to the dares," Madge suggested.

"Now I just gotta come up with a dare," she said, running ideas through in her head. "I got one. I'd like you to lick Marvel's ear. And if you want, get a bit bolder and stick your tongue right in his ear."

Madge smiled, shaking her head and said, "Thanks for that, Kat."

"Don't mention it, Madge," said Katniss with the smallest of a smile.

"Make sure to lick his ear_ real_ good," said Johanna. "Get right in there..."

Madge didn't respond to this. She was too busy rolling the idea around in her head that she had to lick a guy's ear _and _shove her tongue inside it. That was pretty much all that was on her mind right then. It was when she had her head right next to Marvel's ear that she was suddenly feeling a sense of...boldness. All she had to do was lick his ear and her dare would be done. Simple as that.

Without second-guessing it, she started swirling her tongue all along Marvel's ear. While she did so, Marvel kept laughing under his breath because of how much it tickled, but Madge didn't stop. If anything, she grew bolder and eventually went ahead and shoved her tongue inside. When she pulled it out, she heard everyone clapping and she gave a little smile and a wink.

"I did alright, didn't I?" she asked.

"Not bad," Johanna commented. "Probably could have done better myself, but not bad."

"And now onto the last poor contestant," said Johanna and gave Peeta another one of her sly grins. "Mr. Mellark. This should be interesting."

"Please, Madge," he said and with a light chuckle, added, "Don't be _too_ hard on me, alright?

"We'll see," said Madge, and then asked him, "Truth or dare?"

"I'll go with dare," said Peeta.

"Dare it is," said Madge. "Okay, Peeta. I hope you don't find this too harsh, but I'd like you to eat mustard, ketchup, mayo, relish, lemon juice, tomato sauce and milk all in a bowl. Sound appetizing enough?"

Peeta made a face that everyone burst out laughing at, and said honestly, "That's just gross..."

"But it's the dare," Madge told him. "You gonna do it?"

"Sure I am," said Peeta. He then put his arm around Katniss's shoulder and said, "Better wish me luck, sweetheart. This could end badly..."

"Good luck," she said and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Show them who's boss."

"Thanks," he whispered with a smile.

When Glimmer led Madge into the kitchen to get the disgusting snack ready, Peeta wondered what his reaction would be to the nasty creation. Would he puke? Would he start coughing like Marvel had done when he'd swallowed the pepper? Would it leave a truly foul taste on his tongue? Or would he somehow be able to swallow the stuff without doing any of these things?

When the bowl was finally brought to him and he looked inside, all the others watched closely and eagerly to see what Peeta would think. He simply raised a brow and glanced at each of them while saying, "This couldn't be any grosser..."

"Go on, Peeta," smiled Madge. "Eat her up."

"All in good time, Madge, all in good time," he said calmly, his eyes still on the bowl. "Just preparing myself."

"Come on man," said Cato encouragingly. "Just think of it as cake."

"This looks _nothing _like cake," Peeta told him. "It looks more like...goo."

Soon, all of them were chanting and whooping for him to eat it and went on saying, "Eat! Eat! Eat! Eat!" Katniss kept her eyes on him quietly and was secretly telling him, "Come on, Peeta! You got this!" As if he could secretly hear her, Peeta gave her a little wink and brought the bowl up to his lips. He opened his mouth wide and hesitating for not even a second...he dropped the gooey stuff into his mouth.

"That a boy!" said Cato, laughing.

"Not bad indeed," Johanna observed.

When Peeta had swallowed the entire bowl, he dropped it on the floor and wiped his mouth with his sleeve and smiled in victory.

"Ta-da!" he exclaimed.

"Bravo, bravo!" said Madge, clapping. "A job well done."

"Thanks, Madge," said Peeta.

"Feeling anything yet?" asked Marvel. "Upset stomach? Gonna puke? Gotta hit the bathroom?"

"Actually no," said Peeta truthfully. "I feel totally fine. But it was still extremely disgusting, that's for sure."

"Well, that's the end of round one then!" Glimmer announced, then said with excitement, "Onto the next round!"

The second round – which required the players to come up with the most random truths and dares they could think of – proved just as hilariously funny as the first. Peeta started off by picking Glimmer and when she chose truth, Peeta asked her, "What's your _worst_ fear?" Her answer came instantly as, "Being alone for the rest of my life and _never_ finding a guy." This earned a good amount of laughter because everyone present knew how guy-crazy Glimmer was and it made perfect sense that her biggest fear was not having a guy in her life.

Glimmer then picked on Clove, who asked for truth. The question she got was, "What do you prefer? Underwear or no underwear?" Clove's response was, "_Definitely_ without." She told them it felt so much nicer walking around without wearing the stuff and emphasized how nice it felt being a little nude.

When Clove came up with a truth for Gale, it was, "What's your favourite thing about your body?" He surprised everyone by responding with, "eyes." He went on saying how his eyes could be incredibly haunting and persuasive and that he could say so much just with his eyes. Peeta understood this all too well and as if to confirm, he saw the eyes of the hawk once more locked on him. It gave a deafening screech and seconds later, the grey eyes of Hawthorne had returned.

When Cato's turn came around, Gale made sure to give the crowd an interesting show and dared his victim to _passionately_ kiss a stuffed animal for twenty-five seconds. When a large teddy bear had been brought out and handed to Cato, he just stared at the thing with no expression. They were all holding their breaths while waiting for the show to begin and then...Cato crashed his lips onto the fuzzy toy. He made sure to rub his hands all over it as if he were caressing a person and even let out loud, satisfied moans which only made them all laugh that much harder.

"That's right Cato!" said Johanna with a grin. "You give it to that bear!"

"Feels good, doesn't it?" asked Marvel, and burst out laughing yet again.

When the twenty-five seconds were up, Cato separated from the bear and turned to them with a victorious smirk while telling them, "And that my friends...is how it's _done_."

The dare Cato picked out for Marvel was certainly an interesting one. He told Marvel, "Your dare is this: go down in the splits as _far _as you can."

Marvel just laughed as if the idea were ridiculous and then asked, "You're kidding right?"

"Nope," said Cato.

"The splits?" said Marvel.

"The splits," said Cato with a smile.

"Alright, let's see it Marvel!" Johanna insisted.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he grumbled. It was clear that Marvel hated the thought of having to do the splits, but he definitely wasn't going to be called a coward so he sucked it up as best as he could. He stood up and slowly, very slowly...started lowering himself to the ground. The look on his face was priceless and it was all anyone in the crowd could do to keep from pointing and roaring with laughter. But Marvel kept on going and he actually got pretty far before he let out a quick gasp and had to get back up. All in all, he'd done fairly well.

"Good effort Marvel," Johanna told him. "But you could have done better..."

"It's good enough," he shot back. "Now let's see. How about you Johanna? Truth or dare?"

Johanna picked dare and Marvel looked directly at her while saying, "Here it is then. Suck your thumb and cry like a baby for one minute."

"Like a baby, is it?"

"Come on, Johanna!" said Cato. "Show us watcha got."

"Oh, you wanna see, huh?" she said. "Watch and learn then Cato..."

So Johanna went ahead and stuck her finger right in her mouth and instantly transformed from the sixteen-year-old teen to a year old baby screaming its head off. She cried and went on whining about how she missed her mommy and that right there earned applause from the group. She even rocked back and forth and the image of her doing this was almost_ too _funny to handle. When she was finished, all she gave was a little bow before choosing her victim, which was Madge.

"Truth or dare, Madge?"

"Let's go with dare," she answered.

"Okay, lick the floor," said Johanna bluntly.

"I'd _love_ to," said Madge sarcastically.

Watching Madge run her tongue along the wooden floor was certainly funny, and proved even more funny when she started wiping off her tongue with her finger. It was when she glanced at Peeta that a sly grin crossed her face.

"Peeta!" she exclaimed. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," said Peeta.

"Dare it is then. Let's have somebody in this room read some of your texts...to Katniss. How about you Cato? I'm sure you'd love to read them?"

"Sure would," said Cato. He walked over to Peeta who dug into his pocket and handed Cato his phone.

"Be nice and loud," said Johanna. "I wanna be able to hear."

Cato cleared his throat and quickly began browsing through Peeta's texts.

"Hi sweetheart," he said, and an amused smile was forming on his lips. "I miss you right now. How's class?"

"Keep goin', keep goin'," said Johanna.

"I brought in some cupcakes for you," said Cato. "I think you'll like them. I made sure to use extra frosting and even put the little sprinkles on them that you like."

"Awww," said Johanna. "That's too adorable." She then muttered under her breath jokingly, "Think I'm gonna puke..."

After Cato had gone through a few more texts, he gave Peeta his phone back and took his next to Marvel and Glimmer.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Peeta said to Cato.

"A little," he lied, but Peeta could tell by the small grin that he'd _definitely _gotten a laugh out of it.

"Looks like it's my turn now," said Peeta, and he turned to Katniss and asked, "Mind if I pick you, sweetheart?"

"Go for it," she smiled.

"Alright," said Peeta. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I want you to call the Hob and put in an order for ten free pizzas."

"This should be good," said Madge.

Glimmer came over and handed Katniss the phone while making sure that it was on speaker. Peeta kept his smile on her and watched her with eagerness as she started dialling the number. She brought the phone up to her ear and waited for someone to answer. As always, it was Greasy Sae that picked up.

"Hi, you've reached the Hob. How can I help you?"

"Hi, it's Katniss. I uh...I'd like to put in an order."

"Sure thing, dear. What will it be? The usual for you?"

"No, something else. Can I uh...get ten free pizzas?"

There was a brief pause before Greasy Sae said, "Ten free pizzas I can get for you but no _way_ am I handing those out for free, dear."

"Please?" she asked sweetly.

"Sorry, Katniss," said Greasy Sae firmly. "But I've got other customers waiting. Good-bye."

Katniss put the phone down and when she raised her head to look at the others...they instantly broke out laughing.

"Nice one," said Cato.

"Sucks though," Johanna threw in. "I was kind of_ hoping_ we'd get those ten free pizzas."

"Yeah...that wouldn't happen," Katniss chuckled.

"Nicely done sweetheart," said Peeta.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" she asked him.

"It was amusing," he admitted with a smile.

"And now for the third and final round," Glimmer declared. "Enough with the gross and random...let's get _**sexual**_!"

"Well, since I was just dared, that means I get to start things off," said Katniss. She looked right at Glimmer and said, "You're up first, Glim. Truth or dare?"

"Let's go with truth," said Glimmer.

"Alright, Glimmer," Katniss told her. "You guys sure liked teasing me about Peeta, so now it's my turn to tease you a bit. Tell me Glim...have _you_ ever had _sex_ before?"

Glimmer rolled her eyes as if surprised that Katniss would ask and said, "Well _duh!_ I know you and Peeta wanna take things slow and that's great and all...but no _way_ could I do that. I _like _a bit of sex in my life."

"Yeah, no surprise there," Johanna added. "We all know how much you love and cravesex Glim."

She shrugged and said, "Yeah. But that's why they call me sex-loving Glimmer. Now I believe it's my turn, isn't it? Who will I torture...?"

She scanned the group and her eyes fell on Clove.

"Clove! You're the lucky pick. Truth or dare?"

"Do you really need to ask?" said Clove. "Dare."

"Well here it is then," said Glimmer. "I dare you to _suck _on Cato's tongue."

"Wow, first Johanna makes me lick peanut butter off his toes," Clove commented. "And now you're getting me to suck his tongue."

"We like picking on you," said Glimmer. "Now get that tongue in your mouth, missy."

"She's all yours, Clove," said Cato. "And don't worry...this'll taste _much_ better than my smelly old toes. Promise."

"Yeah, we'll see," was all Clove said before she took Cato's tongue into her mouth. There was no denying that it was much nicer licking a warm, wet tongue than it was peanut butter that had been wedged between a guy's smelly old feet. This went on for about a minute before she pulled away and Cato gave her the tiniest wink.

"You loved that," he told her.

"_You_ loved it," she corrected with a grin. She then turned her attention to Gale and barked, "Hawthorne! You're up next. Truth or dare?"

"Give me a dare," he demanded boldly.

"You asked," said Clove. "Alright. Give me your _sexiest _and most _passionate_ moan."

"Sexy and passionate, huh?" said Gale. "How's_ this_ for sexy and passionate?" And he went ahead and presented what was undoubtedly a moan of passion and sexiness. When the sound reached Peeta's ears, it hit him that he was most likely thinking of and imagining himself with Katniss while producing that moan. He was probably picturing her pressed up against him while she pleased him and in return, he pleasured her. Just as quickly, the moan ended and before he gave a smile in victory, Peeta saw the eyes change once again into those of the hawk and a howling screech escaped its mouth.

"Sexy and passionate enough for ya, Clove?" he asked.

"Not bad," she told him. "I'm impressed."

"You should be," said Gale. "Alrighty then, who's next? Cato...how about you? Truth or dare?"

"Give me a dare," said Cato.

"You'll like this," said Gale. "I want you to go into another room with somebody else, pretend to be having sex with them and be extremely _verbal_ about it. But if you want to go a bit further than just pretend by all means...do."

"Oh, is that all?" said Cato grinning. "Sure. So who'd like to go with me?"

"I'll go," said Johanna quickly. She got up and took her place next to Cato. She then looked to Glimmer and said, "Sorry, Glim. Bet you really wanted this, didn't you?"

"Not really," said Glimmer. "It'll be way funnier hearing you two in there."

"Oh, just wait," said Johanna slyly. "We're gonna be_ real_ loud. Might even wake up a few neighbours..."

"Can hardly wait," said Marvel.

Johanna took Cato by the hand and led him into one of the other rooms and shut the door and made sure to lock it. Since no one could actually _see_ them, none of them knew just what exactly these two would be doing. Would they get naked? Would they go so far as to actually do some pleasuring? All they could do was listen and wonder what Johanna and Cato were doing behind that closed door...whether it was real _or _just pretend. And just as Johanna had said, they were _loud._

"Ahh, fuck..." she moaned out, the pleasure showing in her voice. "_Cato_"!

He responded with a deep groan and went on shouting her name, over and over. It seemed like the moaning and groaning was endless, as if these two were really enjoying themselves. But what the others didn't know was whether they were in fact doing stuff...or if it was all an act and all part of the dare.

It was when they came out of the room without an ounce of sweat on their body that the group knew it had indeed been an act...but a remarkably good one.

"Wow," said Marvel. "For a second I thought you guys actually did it."

"Nah," said Johanna. "But it was pretty believable, wasn't it?"

"Very," said Glimmer. "You even almost had me convinced."

"And now onto the next one," said Cato. "How about you, Marvel? Truth or dare?"

"I'll go with truth."

"Let's see. If you could make out with anyone in this room, who would it be?"

"Hmm..." he said, and gave it a quick thought. "I'd say Glimmer."

She gave him a little wink and asked, "Oh, you would, would you?"

"Sure," said Marvel and returned her wink. "Alright, let's keep this moving. You're up next, Johanna. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," was her answer.

"Okay," said Marvel. "Kiss anyone of your choice for one minute on the lips."

"Awesome," said Johanna. "And I know just who to pick." She made her way over to Gale and kneeled down in front of him with a grin.

"Hello Gale."

"Hey, Johanna," said Gale. "Nice of you to drop in."

"Anytime, Hawthorne," she said.

"Then what are you waiting for?" he asked and leaned in closer. "Kiss me..."

Johanna wrapped her long arms around Gale's neck and brought her lips crashing onto his. He held her firmly by the waist as the two brushed their lips against one another. All Peeta could think of while watching them kiss was that Gale was probably imagining that Johanna was Katniss. He knew the guy was desperate to get Katniss into his arms and claim her as his own. It wasn't that he truly wanted to kiss Johanna...it was that he wanted to kiss _someone_ and _pretend _that it was Katniss. For a second he could have sworn that the guy turned and looked at him and in the screeching voice of the hawk, said, "She's gonna be mine soon enough you little _fucker_. Just wait and see..."

When the two separated after the long minute, Gale put on a fake smile and said, "What a lovely kisser you are Johanna."

"_That's not what you mean_," thought Peeta, knowing the truth. "_You pictured yourself with Katniss and thought what a lovely kisser __**she **__was_."

As if Gale could read his every thought, he snapped his head in Peeta's direction and locked his eyes on him as he morphed once more into the vicious bird. As usual, the vision lasted only a few seconds.

"Why don't you keep your mouth _shut_, Bread Boy?" it hissed. "Or do I gotta come over there and rip your fuckin' little tongue out?" The image of the hawk then vanished and once again in its place was Hawthorne.

"And my turn again," said Johanna. "Let's go with you Madge. Truth or dare?"

Madge thought for a moment, then answered, "Truth."

"Tell me this then," said Johanna. "If you had to marry a teacher in the school, who would you pick...and why?"

Madge gave some consideration to this question and said finally, "Mr. Odair. He's just so dreamy."

"No surprise there," said Glimmer. "The guy's a hottie. I mean...those sea green eyes, bronze hair, amazing body...he's gorgeous. What's not to like?"

"Can't argue with that," said Clove. "Definitely the best lookin' teacher in the school."

"Yeah?" said Cato. "And who's the best lookin' _student _in the school?"

"Not you," said Clove with a smirk.

"Nice one Clove," he shot back. "But that's a lie. I know you're crazy about me."

"You _wish_," she scoffed.

"I don't wish," said Cato with a grin. "I _know_..."

"Okay, enough!" said Madge, laughing. "We get it. Clove's either crazy about him or she's not—"

"I'm not," she confirmed flatly.

"Right. Well it's my turn now and I'd like to go."

"Sorry, Madge," said Cato, giving Clove a playful smirk. "We'll behave."

"Thank you," said Madge. "Guess Peeta and Katniss are last to go...again. I think I'll pick Katniss again this time. Now Kat, I know you two said you wanted to take it slow and all but mind if I speed things up just a little?"

"Depends," was all she said.

"Okay, truth or dare?" asked Madge.

"You probably want me to pick dare and I've come this far so might as well go with dare."

"You brave girl," smiled Madge. "Here's your dare Katniss: I want you to take Peeta's shirt off and use your tongue to pleasure him."

"Ooh, _nice _one, Madge," said Johanna with a whistle. "Gettin' bold aren't we?"

"A little," Madge admitted.

"Shouldn't be a problem for you, Katniss," said Cato. "You _did_ admit to wanting to have sex with him, right? This'll be nothing."

"Yeah, but not for her," Marvel threw in. "The two wanted to take things slow, remember? This is kind of a big step from kissing to suddenly licking his chest and—"

"Okay, okay!" said Katniss, frustrated with everyone's remarks. "I'll do it!" It wasn't so much that she minded them teasing her since she knew they were all just goofing around but it _was _annoying. She was already nervous enough to have to remove Peeta's shirt _especially _when she'd never even seen him half naked before. She knew Marvel was right when saying that this was a big step from the simple, innocent kissing they'd been starting out with. This was a whole different game.

But she knew it wasn't _that _big of a deal, or that's what she tried to convince herself of anyway. All she had to do was remove his shirt and move her tongue around a bit on his chest. Simple as that. Could have been a lot worse. Knowing what these guys were like, they could have dared her to go down even further and use her tongue in other, far more private places. She was just starting to lift Peeta's shirt up when he put his hand over hers, stopping her.

"_And I do __**love**__ him_," she thought, thinking it over. "_He'd do anything to make me happy if I asked him to, so he deserves to have a bit of pleasure himself."_

"Katniss," he said quietly, "You don't have to do this if you'd rather not."

"Aw, come on Peeta!" Johanna cajoled. "It's just a bit of tongue work. No biggie."

"Yeah, but I don't want her doing it if it makes her uncomfortable," said Peeta seriously.

"No, it's...it's okay," she told him. She looked up and met his gaze and as Peeta studied her expression, he got the feeling that maybe she _did _want this. She looked nervous, there was no denying that, but maybe the nerves had more to do with the fact that so many people were around. If she and Peeta were alone, it would just be them and no one else around...but this was different.

"You sure?" he asked, not dropping her gaze.

"Positive," said Katniss, and then said chuckling lightly, "Just gotta pretend it's me and you."

"Good luck with that," was all Johanna had to say.

Katniss ignored her and kept her eyes only on Peeta. He made sure to give her an encouraging, loving smile as she slowly began to lift his shirt up. He then raised his arms and she pulled it up and over his head before tossing it on the floor. Peeta's chest was now completely exposed. He got down onto his knees as he now sat kneeling in front of her.

Katniss noticed Johanna whistling and Glimmer eyeing him adoringly and was quick to snap while looking back at them, "Don't even go there."

"Relax, Katniss!" said Johanna laughing. "Take a joke. We're only kidding. I've got my eyes on someone else anyway."

"Same with me," said Glimmer. "We just like teasing you, that's all. But we'll stop."

Katniss turned her attention back to Peeta and his now bare chest. After giving him a quick up and down look, there was only one word she could think of right then to use to describe Peeta Mellark – _**beautiful.**_ His whole being and everything about him was just incredibly beautiful: his spirit, his kind, gentle personality and his body. Peeta was just amazing and as she sat there in front of him, any thoughts or fears or doubts about this dare were gone entirely. She didn't care about the others teasing or watching them...all she wanted was to bring pleasure to this amazing boy.

When she first brought her tongue onto Peeta's chest, he was dangerously close to crying out. But he was able to contain it and focus on the simple joy of being here with the girl he loved. She ran her tongue over his smooth, bare chest and when she became a little bolder and flicked her tongue across one of his nipples, he couldn't hold back the sudden gasp escaping him. This caused a good deal of excited laughter amongst the crowd.

"Ya like that, don't ya, Peeta?" said Johanna. "Well if you think _that's_ good, then you should have listened to me when I said you'd _love_ to just—"

"Oh, shut up, Johanna," said Madge, giving her a light shove. "Leave them alone, will ya? Quit teasing and go pick on somebody else."

"But they're such_ fun_ to pick on," she smiled.

"But so are Cato and Clove," said Marvel.

"Can't argue with that," Johanna agreed.

After a few minutes of running her tongue along Peeta's chest, she handed him his shirt back with a smile. He smiled in return and put his shirt on. That's when his eyes widened and a second smile crossed his lips when he told her, "Uh-oh...your turn now."

"Sure is," she said. "And you're the only one left to pick. Which means _I_ get to pick _you_."

"Go for it," said Peeta.

"Okay," said Katniss. "Truth or dare?"

"How about we end this game with one final dare, shall we?" he offered.

"Sounds good to me," said Katniss. "Alright. Peeta...I'd like you to French kiss me."

He took a step closer to her, wrapped his arms around her waist and asked softly, "You sure about this, sweetheart?"

"Same answer as before," she said confidently while meeting his gaze. "_Positive."_

Peeta couldn't help but smile. He absolutely loved this girl and just as she'd wanted minutes ago, all he wanted right then was to give her pleasure. While their friends sat watching and whispering, it was like they'd gone invisible and could no longer be seen or heard by Peeta and Katniss. It was like the two had entered a special world only for them where all that mattered was being with each other. Peeta caressed her cheek gently and gazed into her eyes with such love and adoration that Katniss felt like she was melting. It was then that their faces were only inches apart and leaning in even closer...their lips met. Like all the kisses they'd shared so far, this proved just as warm and passionate and gave them fluttering butterflies that refused to be still.

It was when Katniss slowly opened her mouth that she felt a new and amazingly wonderful sensation – and that was Peeta's tongue coming into contact with her own. It was warm, wet and the feeling of her own tongue sliding against it was an entirely new experience...and she _liked_ it. Because it was their first time performing a French kiss, their movements were a bit awkward and clumsy at first but after a few attempts that all changed when their tongues created a dance all on their own.

When they separated, Johanna started applauding and said, "Great show, guys."

"Held my attention," said Cato.

"And mine," Marvel added.

"Well, that's the end of the show," said Katniss. "Glad you enjoyed it but that's all the truth or dare for tonight."

"It _was _quite a show, wasn't it?" said Peeta, wrapping an arm around her.

"It was," she agreed. "I don't know about you but I think I've had my fun with truth or dare for a while."

"Couldn't agree more," said Peeta.

After Glimmer had thanked everyone for coming and said her goodbyes, Cato got in his car and was joined by Marvel, Clove and Gale while Glimmer hopped in hers along with Madge, Johanna, Katniss and Peeta. She first dropped Johanna off, then Madge, Katniss and then finally Peeta.

That night, Peeta was once again paid a visit by the envious hawk. It had first appeared as none other than Hawthorne but had quickly taken the shape of the monster bird. This time, its screech was louder than ever and its talons seemed shaper than usual. It was like they'd grown twice their normal size and its wings were like massive blankets that hovered over him while trying to seize him in its grasp. All Peeta could do was run and try to escape from the furious hawk but it never grew tired and never stopped howling. It only had one thing on its mind and that was to rip Peeta Mellark apart.

"You're_** dead**_ you little fucker!" it screamed, hot on his trail. "Fuckin' _**dead**_!"

Peeta awoke with a start and when he put his hand on his forehead, he realized he was sweating. That was no surprise. Whenever the hawk came to invade his dreams he normally woke up breathing hard, panting and with sweat on his face. But like always, he was relieved at knowing that it was only a nightmare. Only a nightmare and a thing of his mind and nothing else. The hawk was all but a horror in his nightmares.

When Monday arrived, Peeta decided to spend his free taking a walk around the soccer field. He didn't go there much since he was usually in the cafeteria hanging out with Delly or doing some sketching on free but he felt like getting some fresh air. It was nice because he was the only one there. He could allow himself to let his mind drift off to pleasant thoughts of him and Katniss and what their next big assignment might be in art class and...

"Hey there, Bread Boy."

Peeta turned and saw Gale standing with his feet apart and his arms crossed. If looks could kill than Peeta would already be dead.

"What do you want?" asked Peeta, keeping his voice calm.

"What do _I_ want?" said Gale, taking a few threatening steps towards him. "What I really want is to take your fuckin' little head and smash it to bits. That's all."

"I don't want any trouble, Gale," said Peeta quietly, hoping he could somehow reason with this guy, though he knew that was about the same as asking for a set of wings. "Look, I know you like Katniss and all but—"

"Oh, I don't _like_ her," he snarled. "I_ love_ her. And you had to go and fuckin' take her from me. If you hadn't talked to her, we'd be together right now. So you know what Bread Boy? I'm sick of hearing your voice and watching Katniss have her tongue and hands all over you. You ignored my first threat when I told you to back off. Well, I'm giving you another chance at that. Back off or you'll really regret ever having anything to do with that girl. Trust me on that."

When Peeta had first been warned by Gale to keep his distance from Katniss, he ultimately came to the conclusion that he couldn't and wouldn't. He'd had his eyes and heart on Katniss for far too long to simply crawl in a hole and forget about her. He could deal with whatever trouble Gale could throw at him if it meant that he and Katniss could remain together. So he'd ignored Gale's threat and not long after that, she'd admitted her feelings to him and the two were together. Now Gale was giving him a _second_ warning. It was all too clear what he had to do.

"I can't back off Gale," he said, without a crack in his voice. "I love her too much to do that."

"So bold for a baker's boy," he said chuckling, but then his anger overtook him as he quickly approached him. "But so fuckin' _stupid_ in the head."

Before Peeta had time to think about what was happening, he felt Gale tackling him with a raging fury that told him the hawk had returned. In that instant, he felt the strength and weight of this guy holding him firm. He could hear the furious grunts of Hawthorne as he clutched onto his prey while trying to take him apart. But Peeta had spent _years _working and helping around the bakery and his strength as Gale was soon about to realize was significantly greater than his own. He had to get out of this guy's hold so he squirmed and broke free and without even hesitating...he drove his elbow into Gale's nose.

Gale's reaction was to scream in pain as he brought his hands up to his now bleeding nose. The fury in his eyes made Peeta's heart stop for a moment. It was obvious Gale wasn't kidding around when he said he wanted to smash this guy's head to bits. From the way he sounded, acted and looked...Peeta was starting to wonder if the guy wanted to out and out _kill_ him.

Gale wasn't close to finished though. He charged at Peeta again and launched himself at him feet first with his body parallel to the ground. Both of his feet hit Peeta square in the chest who was thrown onto his back with a painful thud; he grunted at the impact. He felt like the air had been snatched out of his lungs but no matter the pain he felt, no matter how terrible it was, he wasn't going to let Gale tear him apart and more importantly...take the girl he loved away from him. If Hawthorne kept on coming back wanting a fight of violence...then Peeta wasn't going to stand there and do nothing. He had to make it clear that he _wasn't _backing off and _wasn't _afraid of this hawk. What he was more afraid of was anything happening to Katniss.

The thought of losing her was what got Peeta back up onto his feet. He went right back to Gale and wrestled him to the ground, using all power and force he had. Gale did all he could not to get pulled down but Peeta's strength proved too great and too superior to his own and down he went. As quick as he could, Peeta positioned his knees over Gale's arms and soon Hawthorne was trapped with Peeta sitting firmly on his chest allowing him no chance of escape.

Gale's eyes were on fire as he glared at Peeta with nothing but hatred. The guy was out of control as he squirmed desperately and shook his head as if a thousand needles were jabbing at him. There was no way Peeta was going to let him loose until he said what he needed to say to him.

"So just because you're stronger than me," spat Gale, clenching his teeth. "You think you're above me? You think you can stop me from winning her back?"

"She doesn't love you Gale," said Peeta firmly, staring him right in the eyes. "She told me herself that she loves _me_. I'm not trying to prove anything here. I just want you to leave us alone. If you want to be friends with, that's fine...but stop trying to split us apart. It's not going to happen."

"Oh, it will," he said, seething. "I already promised you that."

"But it _won't_, Gale!" said Peeta firmly. "You can beat me up or take me on however many times you want but you're not taking her from me! And if you ever try to hurt her even a little...then it's _you_ who's going to regret ever going near her."

"Oh, I'm terrified," said Gale mockingly. "Your words mean nothing to me, Mellark. Doesn't matter what you say or do...I know how this'll turn out. Run, hide, ignore me, do whatever the hell you want...but don't try and deny who's _really _in control here."

Peeta held his fiery gaze for a second longer before getting up and walking off. Gale quickly got to his feet, gave an obnoxious laugh and called, "Run you little fucker! Run back to your little girlfriend and hold her close," here his voice turned into a growl as he muttered under his breath, "Before all shit hits the fan."

As Peeta was just about to make his way back inside, he gave one last glance back down at the field. There he saw an eerie sight. Standing dead center in the middle of the field was Gale but it was like he was frozen in place. Peeta could hardly see him moving or even breathing as he stood there with his head down and his arms at his sides. Suddenly, it raised its head and there the eyes of the hawk met his once more but this time...the creature was grinning. He could see the sly smile as it held its eyes on Peeta and with a quick flap of its wings it took off into the sky.

When Peeta blinked...the hawk was gone. Not caring where Gale went and not wanting to stand outside any longer, he made his way into the school.

A few days later, Katniss was just about finished with math class when out of the blue she started feeling hungry. With only ten minutes left of class, she figured she wouldn't miss much, especially when she knew already what had been assigned for homework. So she quietly excused herself and walked down to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. She planned to be quick and get something simple like a muffin and a water before heading to her next class.

She was just about to enter the cafeteria...when she noticed something. It was so shocking and puzzling that for a second she thought she was _dreaming_. It certainly felt dreamlike and nothing like reality. There was no way she'd _**ever**_, not in a million yearsimagine seeing what her eyes were telling her right then. But it was clear as day what she was staring at.

There was only one way to confirm what she was seeing. She had to get a closer look. So without a word, she silently made her way forward. She kept stealing quick glances at the two people to ensure neither of them caught sight of her. But they were too busy smiling and laughing at one another to notice. She managed to make her way down to the center portion of the cafeteria and as quietly as she could, she leaned her back against the wall and slid herself down. The two people were sitting just above her but there was no way they'd see her unless they leaned over and looked down to their left...which she hoped they wouldn't. But right then she didn't even care. She was too furious and confused to be bothered.

She kept her ears open and listened in on the two's conversation.

"I can't even tell you what you mean to me," the guy said with the greatest of affection. "If I had all the time in the world to write the longest poem, or write the longest letter, that still wouldn't be enough. All I can say is that I love you like nobody else. You're like the jewel in my crown; the sun in my sky; the beating in my heart. You...are my _**love**_."

Katniss had had enough. She was on the verge of losing it entirely and if she didn't let him know just _what_ she was feeling and the pain she was experiencing...then she knew she _would _lose it. It was when she'd walked up and stopped right in front of them that her face grew hard as stone. Without even realizing it, her hands had formed fists and her grey eyes became an even darker shade of grey. Her body became frozen still and it was all she could do not to scream out to the world.

Because what she'd seen while approaching them was the guy gently pulling the girl's hand towards his mouth...and planting a sweet, light kiss on it. The girl had given a smile and the guy gave a smile in return and _that's_ when Katniss felt the building, burning fire in her. She couldn't accept this. There was no way that she could accept what her eyes were telling her. There was no way she could accept any of it: the two laughing, him confessing his love for her, him kissing her hand and giving her that loving gaze that _he'd _given to her _so_ many times. It was unacceptable...and beyond painful.

What made it so agonizingly painful was that what she was seeing was _**Peeta Mellark**_...with _**another girl.**_


	14. You're a Cheater!

Chapter 14: You're a Cheater!

"Peeta, what the _**hell**_!" Katniss shouted furiously. She stood next to him staring down at him with a look that suggested she wanted nothing more than to grab hold of him, shove him against a wall and scream right into his face. The girl was startled by her sudden outburst and looked up at her with widened eyes. When Peeta had first seen Katniss approaching him he'd broken out in a big smile but the moment he heard her fuming tone...his smile dropped and a puzzled look came over his face. But the fire in Katniss's eyes and body language told him she was downright pissed.

"Katniss?" he asked. "What's going—"

"Don't even _go_ there!" she snarled, keeping her unblinking eyes locked on his. "Don't even go there, Peeta! What the _hell _were you even _**thinking**_?"

"Thinking about _what_?" he said, genuinely confused. Katniss realized Peeta was doing an extremely good job of acted confused, but she wasn't going to let this fool what she'd seen...what she _was _seeing.

"About this!" she said pointing first to him, and then to the girl across from him. "About you going behind my back and becoming just what so many other guys in this school are!"

"What are you talking about, sweetheart?" Peeta asked, who was even more lost at this point.

"Don't call me that!" she hissed, and that's when a single tear fell out of her eye and rolled down her cheek. "Peeta, how could you even do this to me? I thought you told me you loved me? That I was the only one you cared about and—"

"You are, Katniss!" he interrupted with passion. "Don't you know who this—"

"No!" Katniss shouted. Students were staring to glance over at them curiously and were no doubt listening in and eavesdropping on the whole conversation. But Katniss couldn't care less. They heard arguments between couples everyday and right then she wasn't focused on what they thought of the scenario. All she wanted was to let Peeta know just how furious she was with him. "And I don't care who that is. But it's pretty obvious how_ you_ feel about her!"

"What do mean how I _feel_ about her?" he said, giving the girl a confused look. Katniss was almost getting sick of hearing Peeta pretend to be so confused about it when he clearly knew what it was all about.

"I'm not stupid, Peeta!" she said, trying to contain her emotions. "I saw you smiling and laughing with her! And then you tell her how much you love her in this great poetic way that you never even said to _me_! And then you...you _kissed_ her hand! I saw it all, Peeta! Stop pretending to be so confused because I _know _you're not."

"But I _don't_ love her!" Peeta told her. "I don't any feelings for her—"

"I don't wanna hear it, Peeta!" she said, clenching her teeth. "If you want another girl then _**fine!**_ But don't you dare play me as a fool and go behind my back and do something like this! I trusted you and really thought you were the incredible person I thought you were...but I guess I was wrong."

"Katniss, you don't understand," he said and got to his feet. He reached out to take her hand, but she pushed it away and then gave him a rough shove. He almost went tripping over his chair, but he managed to stay on his feet while staring at Katniss with a truly puzzled and worried expression.

"I do understand!" she snapped. "I've seen enough, Peeta. It all makes perfect sense. I thought you were some amazing guy that I was crazy about. I thought everything you said to me, everything you ever did with me you did because you loved me. Well, guess what? I know what you are."

Peeta opened his mouth to speak, but he was instantly cut off by Katniss.

"You're a _**cheater**_, Peeta!" she said, and the pain in her voice was all but palpable. She didn't even stay to listen to what he had to say or explain to her. She gave him one last look over her shoulder but just as quickly she turned and hurried out of the cafeteria. Peeta slowly got back into his chair and turned his attention to the girl sitting across from him. Her eyes were still on the open doors where Katniss had barged out of.

"She thinks I'm a..._**cheater**_," said Peeta quietly, barely getting the words out.

"She...she heard all that?" asked the girl, just as quietly.

Peeta dropped his head, gave a sigh and said simply, "Yes. I wish she would have just let me _explain._ I understand why she'd think what she does but...it's my fault. It is. I should've introduced you to her days ago, or when we first started going out. Guess I just didn't think to but now look what's happened. Katniss thinks I'm a cheater now."

The girl watched him carefully and then bit her lip which was something she always did when she was thinking hard or deep in thought.

The two were silent for a moment, till Peeta spoke up and asked, "What do I do, Delly?"

"That's easy," she said softly. "You go and talk to her."

"But how?" said Peeta. "If I do she'll just push me away or start yelling again and—"

"But you _have_ to, Peeta," Delly insisted. "You have to tell her why you said all that, why you kissed my hand. If you don't, she won't change her mind about what she thought she saw. You _have_ to go talk to her."

Peeta stared at her while rolling her words around in his head and said, "You're right. I know I have to it's just..."

"What?" she asked with concern.

Peeta put his head in his hands and said nothing for a moment. He then slowly lifted his head and Delly saw the fear and worry in Peeta's eyes. There was even a small tear forming in his eye that trickled down his cheek. It made her wonder if there was much more going on in Peeta's life than he was letting her on about but she didn't think about asking. She was always there for Peeta if he needed someone to talk to or get opinions from, but she'd never force him to discuss things he just wasn't comfortable talking about.

"I can't lose her, Delly," he said shakily. "She's...she's all I have. I just get so scared that one day she might not be there anymore or that something might happen to her. I don't even know what I'd do with myself if she ever left me."

Delly nodded in sympathy and told him gently, "But she's _here_, Peeta. All you have to do is go to her, tell her the situation and everything will be fine. I promise. There's no reason she won't believe you once you show her _these_."

That's when Delly bent over and started rummaging through her bag. Peeta knew her bag was always full and it usually took her at least a minute to find what she was searching for. She was definitely a girl that liked to have a lot of things with her on the go– snacks, cameras, photos, phones, various books and countless charm bracelets – and almost always had them stuffed in her bag. What she pulled out was one of her photo albums. It was small and not much bigger than her hand but it still held quite a bit of pictures. Since she was little, Delly had liked forming photo albums and putting pictures of all her friends in them. It became a hobby of hers and she continued doing it as she got older, mostly so she could remember and look back on the friends she'd made in life. Each of her friends had their own album and the one she held now was Peeta's. It was orange in color (she knew his favourite color was sunset orange) and had his name engraved in the center in thick black letters. It said simply: **PEETA MELLARK.**

She then took a seat next to Peeta and started going through each of the photos while holding the album up in front of them so he could see. They were all pictures of when Peeta and Delly had been children. The two were no older than five and in every snapshot the two were doing some kind of fun thing together. In one they were in the bakery of Peeta's father and had just finished helping him make a batch of chocolate chip cookies but had brown goo smeared all over their faces. Another showed them at the playground swinging on the swings, climbing on the monkey bars or building sandcastles in the sandbox. In others the two were playing tag, drawing with chalk, flying a kite, trading lunches at school, collecting seashells at the beach or making friends with a butterfly.

"I hope you're right, Delly," he said, staring at the photos.

She put a hand on his shoulder and said with empathy, "She will, Peeta. Once she sees these, she'll know that you and I have been friends since childhood. She won't think it's just some random girl you're suddenly with. It's your _friend._"

"Yeah, that's true," he admitted, but then added quietly, "But what if she still doesn't believe me? What if she thinks I really _am_ cheating on her for you? Sure, I can show her these pictures but how do I know that she'll take my word for this?"

"Well," she said, and thought his question over quickly. As usual, she was able to help her friend out with an encouraging, optimistic answer. "Pretty much everyone in the school knows you and I have been best friends since kindergarten. If she doesn't believe what you have to say, then you can tell her to ask anyone she likes and they'll tell her exactly what you did. Your friends Cato and Marvel both know. And her friends Glimmer, Clove, Johanna and Madge all know. You've got lots of people behind you, Peeta. You're not as alone in this as you think."

"Thanks, Del," said Peeta, giving a small, encouraged smile. "It's good to have someone like you around to help me out. It's funny though how you and I only ever hang out on free which would explain why Katniss has never _once_ seen us together. She doesn't have the same free as us, and you're not in any of her classes so I guess it's not surprising that the time she does see us...it's on free."

"It's too bad we didn't all have the same free, huh?" she said. "Then maybe we'd all have gotten introduced."

"I can't believe I didn't introduce her to you," said Peeta, shaking his head. "I know we've only been going out for a few weeks now but I don't get how it just slipped my mind. I should have remembered!"

"I wish I could have gone to Glimmer's party," said Delly. "Then that way I would have met her for sure."

"Yeah, but I still should have introduced you guys earlier," said Peeta, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

"I think I know why you didn't," said Delly.

"Why?" asked Peeta.

"Because you were too focused on _Katniss_," said Delly with a smile. "You were so happy to finally be with her that you forgot what other little things you wanted to tell her, or show her. Trust me, Peeta. Anyone can see the way you look at her that you're crazy about her. Not hard to believe that it might slip your mind to introduce her to me, especially remembering that you and I only ever hang out on free. If you're spending that much time with her than it makes sense that all you'd be thinking about was _her_, right?"

"I guess so," said Peeta slowly, and then added, "But I still wish I would have remembered..."

"I just thought of something, actually..." said Delly, staring out the window and into the busy hallway where groups of laughing students strolled by.

"What's that?" said Peeta.

"I wonder if Katniss having known me before now would have made a difference," said Delly slowly, as if she were giving it great thought.

"It would have, though," said Peeta quickly. "Then that way Katniss wouldn't have been so shocked to see you and I together and—"

"But what if she still what have thought what she did?" said Delly softly. "She would have known you and I had been friends for years but what if she_ still _would have thought you were..._cheating_?"

Peeta had to consider this since Delly did have a point. What was to stop Katniss from still thinking and still accusing him of being a player?"

"I...I don't know," he said, sounding a bit tired. "But you're right. I gotta go talk to her." He got up out of his chair and gave Delly a final look.

"Don't give up on her, Peeta," said Delly. "If she ignores you, keep trying to speak with her. I'm certain that once you tell her everything...she'll no longer see you as a cheater."

"Thanks, Del," said Peeta, giving the smallest of a smile. "Let's hope she believes me."

"I _know_ she will," said Delly confidently. "You're a good guy, Peeta. You just have to remind her of that."

He gave a quick nod of thanks and hurried his way out of the cafeteria. He had one class to go before art, and that was biology. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to sit through an entire hour of Mr. Boggs discussing the anatomy of a frog while explaining and describing every tiny detail. But he had no choice. The most he could do to keep his mind off Katniss would be to try and pretend that learning about frogs was fascinatingly interesting.

It wasn't. Ten minutes of the class had barely gone by before Peeta was dangerously close to dozing off. No way was he going to let that happen with a guy like Boggs though. If he caught anyone sleeping in his class, he'd have given them such a lecture that the next day they'd be staring at the board with unblinking eyes. It was never a fun time when Mr. Boggs was in a cranky, irritable mood and the two things he couldn't stand to see were students sleeping or texting during class. _His_ class.

Halfway through the class, Mr. Boggs had to leave for just a moment to grab something out of the other science rooms. While he was gone, Peeta took the opportunity to take his phone out and not wasting a single second, he started writing up a text to Katniss. It read: "_Hi Katniss. I know you're angry and upset at what you saw in the cafeteria but if you just let me explain to you what that was really all about, I'm guaranteed you'll feel so much better! There's nothing to worry about Katniss. Please let me tell you more about it in art class."_

Twenty minutes had passed and there was still no text from her. He wondered if this whole situation was going to play out almost identical to how the other one had. When Ryder had spilled all of Peeta's secrets to Katniss, she hadn't returned his text and didn't meet up with him at his locker. What if she refused to speak or even look at him in art? What if she refused to see him any time after that? It was one thing to be told that someone's loved you for eleven years...it was a _completely_ other thing to walk in on the guy you love and see him with another girl. The more he spent time thinking about how it would all play out and the scary possibility of her not wanting to speak to him again...the more his heart started to ache. All he wanted right then was to have her back in his arms again and only _**he **_could make that happen.

When the hour was up and Peeta was heading down the hall towards art class, he felt a sudden feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't put his finger on what kind it was, or what it could mean but it _did _make him think of...Gale. The hawk had absolutely nothing to do with this latest dilemma which meant that it might not have to make a move at all to split them up. There was a very real chance that Katniss might not want to talk to him again. Maybe she was so furious that she wouldn't _want _to let him explain? That meant that Hawthorne could set his jealous eyes right on Katniss and Peeta would be powerless to do anything. He didn't know for sure if Katniss would start feeling romantically about Gale, but it wasn't something he wanted to find out. He _couldn't_ let her be taken from him.

When he entered the art room, he noticed she was already sitting. It felt like a hundred bricks were piled onto his feet as he walked on over to her. He quietly took a seat next to her and glanced in her direction to see she had her eyes glued the desk. She had her phone next to her, as well as a sheet of paper and pencils. One of the reasons why Mr. Odair was one of the cooler teachers in the school was because of his appreciation for cell phones. He didn't think it was such a terrible idea to let students use their phones in class _as long_ as they were getting their work done. Where any other teacher would pretty much gasp at the sight of a phone, Mr. Odair was cool and laid-back about it. He'd take someone's phone if they weren't getting their work done but aside from that, he was casual about the whole thing.

The fact that she hadn't texted him back in biology made Peeta wonder if he should text Katniss again? She was sitting right beside him! But then again, she hadn't even looked at him yet. If he sent her a text, the worst that would happen would be that she'd ignore him, so he went ahead and sent her another one. He wrote: "_Katniss, please listen to me. I understand that you're angry but if you let me explain, you won't have to be angry anymore. It'll all make sense if you let me tell you. I __**promise**__._ I even have something to show you..."

Like before, she didn't respond and she still didn't look at him. By the way she was acting, he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd decided to have sat somewhere else that class. But Mr. Odair preferred that partners stay seated together, so she couldn't really do much about that.

Peeta wasn't giving up though. He tore out a single piece of paper from his sketchbook. It was the one he'd drawn of her right before he'd gone down to the lake, which was where she'd confessed her love for him. It held so much meaning to him and he wanted her to see it. He quickly wrote at the top of the page, "_Katniss, __**please.**__ I know guys probably say they can explain and in most cases they can't but __**believe **__me when I say that what you saw isn't what you think it is. Please trust me._" He then folded it up and slid it across the table towards her.

She hesitated for only a brief second before unfolding it. Her eyes stayed locked on the image and the words written above for a moment or so. Then she crinkled it back up and pushed it back to him. Peeta frowned, took the picture and put it in his bag. It was clear that Katniss wasn't in the mood for conversation. But he still wasn't giving up. Not even close. He'd never give up on her and unless she told him flat out that she never wanted to see him again...then he'd _never_ be giving up on her. He couldn't.

When class was over, Katniss got up and left without saying a word. She'd gone the entire class not looking or speaking to Peeta. He watched her leave and knew instantly that he had to follow her, or at least see if she wanted to talk now. He had the full lunch hour to try and fix the unfortunate mess they were both in.

She led him down the halls and out the back doors where she made her way straight to the woods. He knew why she was going there: she needed a spot to be alone and think about what she'd both seen _and_ heard. He silently trailed after her and eventually she stopped walking and took a seat on a large, smooth rock. It looked plenty big enough for two or three people so he did the one thing he knew he had to – he sat down next to her.

She didn't even acknowledge him. But if she would rather him open up the conversation, then that was more than okay with him. He'd do whatever it took to make her see the truth.

"Hi Katniss," he said quietly.

There was a long moment before she said flatly, "Hi."

"Look, Katniss," said Peeta softly. "I know you might not want to hear anything I have to say but can you please just let me say what I have to say? If after that you still don't believe me or don't want to see me anymore, that's fine. But all I want is the chance to let you know what was really going on back there."

"I don't know what you can possible say to make me feel any better," she said in doubt. "But go ahead..."

"That girl you saw," said Peeta, keeping his eyes on Katniss. "That was Delly Cartwright. She's been a friend of mine for years. We've known each other since we were kids."

"You expect me to believe that?" she said, finally looking at him. The fire was still burning in her eyes but it had calmed down slightly. "So suddenly she's a friend of yours?"

"But she's _always_ been my friend," Peeta said. "Yes, we've known each other for a long time but I've never had feeling for Delly. And she's never felt that way about me."

"Oh, really...?" said Katniss sarcastically. "Then tell me this, Peeta. Why did you tell her she was the jewel in your crown, the sun in your sky, and the beating in your heart? Yes, I remembered all of that. Then you went and told her you _loved_ her! What the hell, Peeta? Then you go and kiss her hand? And you want me to believe that you don't have feelings for her?"

Peeta's reaction took her completely off guard. It was so not what she'd expected that she actually opened her mouth a little in shock. He gave a small smile as if he'd thought of something hilarious...and then burst out laughing. Katniss stared at him as if he'd gone insane and all she could think was, "_How does he find this funny_?"

Once he'd stopped laughing, he gave her a smile and said, "But I don't, Katniss! That's why I was laughing. When you walked in and heard me say that and kiss her hand...you didn't know _why_ I was doing any of that. That's why I wanted to talk to you so I could tell you."

"So why were you doing it then?" she asked, letting the curiosity creep into her voice.

"You know how District 1 has always been known for being the most romantic district? You hear people talk about it all the time and everyone says they'd just love to live in such a place?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice much calmer than it had been just minutes ago.

"Well, Delly's never been there," Peeta explained. "But she's wanted to go there ever since she can remember. And lately she's been saying how badly she wants to go. She wanted to get a taste of just how lovely of a place it is, and how the men speak in poetry and are basically hopeless romantics just like the women. For a while she tried finding people who'd been there but for some reason she couldn't find anyone. I think it's because not many people from District 12 share the same interest in traveling there, so it was hard to come across people who'd gone there. But I went there a year ago with my family. We spent an entire week there and I got to see everything. I even wrote down some of the poetry I'd heard men speak for Delly since she really wanted to read some...but I lost them on the way back. So I didn't have anything to give her. So today we were talking about District 1 and she was asking me if I'd remembered any of the poetry and there was only _one_ I could recall."

Katniss didn't interrupt, scoff or give any signs that she was losing her faith in him. She simply sat there with her eyes on his and let him continue.

"It was the poem you heard me recite," Peeta told her. "About the jewel, sun and the beating heart. It was the last poem I heard before leaving District 1. It was spoken by a young guy who was reciting it to the woman he loved and after he'd finished, he raised her hand and gave it a kiss. That was a thing pretty much all the men did there besides hugging, dancing and gazing into their lover's eyes. I wanted to show her just how charming the gentlemen were down there so if she never gets the chance to go there some day...at least she'll have what I told her from my trip."

He got no response from Katniss. It wasn't that she was too furious or upset to even speak...it was that she was feeling a sense of embarrassment. She'd felt it the moment she heard Peeta first mention District 1 and Delly never having been there. Everything he'd just told her made sense. It was clear that he _hadn't _made this up. Not long ago she would have been convinced that anything he'd try and tell her was an out and out lie. But the sincerity and honesty in his eyes that she'd gazed into so many times took any bit of doubt, anger or fear out of what she'd originally thought – that Peeta Mellark was a cheater. Now she felt _horrible _for ever having let the very thought crawl into her mind. It was then that she realized just how amazing of a guy Peeta was and how terribly wrong she'd read the whole situation.

When she felt Peeta moving closer towards her, she didn't get up or move or say a word. She stayed sitting and kept her eyes on the ground while she kept replaying his words over in her head. He watched her briefly and then put one of his arms gently around her and she felt the warmth of his arm like a protective and comforting blanket.

"That's what I wanted to tell you, Katniss," he said softly. He then reached into his bag and pulled out the small album that was Delly's and held it out in front of them. She looked at it curiosity as Peeta opened it up and revealed the many pictures of him and Delly as children. As Peeta had seen when Delly first showed him, she saw the two helping Peeta's father bake cookies, at the playground, playing tag, drawing with hopscotch, flying a kite, trading lunches at school, collecting seashells at the beach and the two becoming friends with a butterfly.

"We've known each other since we were kids," said Peeta. "We used to play together and have fun, but we never had feelings for the other. And Delly's known how I've felt about you since I first laid eyes on you. She's always known."

For a long time, Katniss was silent. No words came out of her mouth but when they did, they were so quiet that Peeta could barely make them out.

"I'm _**sorry**_..."

"You don't to be sorry, Katniss," said Peeta. "If anyone should be sorry it's me. I've been meaning to introduce you to Delly for a while now but ever since I've been spending time with you I...I just forgot. You're the only person I've been thinking about. This might not have happened if you'd known who she was."

"But I shouldn't have yelled at you," she argued, and thought back to just how furious she'd been at him. And worse...she hadn't even let him explain. "I should have at least let you tell me what that was all about."

"You were upset," said Peeta and pulled her into a hug. "You just didn't like what you saw and wanted answers; it was natural how you acted."

"But still, Peeta," she went on, holding him close. "You didn't deserve to be screamed at like that. I feel awful for doing that."

Peeta stared into her eyes and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before taking her face in both of his hands. She never dropped his gaze or looked away. The warmth of his touch made her feel safe and protected as if nothing around them could possibly hurt them.

"It's okay now, though," he whispered and planted a kiss on her forehead. He kept his forehead against hers for a moment before pulling away and smiling, "Just a brief misunderstanding. But we took care of it. It's all fixed now."

Sensing that she was still upset about something, he asked with concern, "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"It's just..." Katniss started, and wrapped her arms firmly around his neck while taking a quiet breath. Peeta watched her carefully while waiting for her answer. "I _don't _want to lose you."

He held her as close as he could and said reassuringly, "You won't, Katniss. There's nothing that'll happen to me. I'm not going _anywhere_...I _**promise**_." He brought his lips onto hers and kissed her while still holding her face in his hands. As their lips brushed against the other, Katniss felt his words washing all over her and any fear she had of losing him was instantly gone. Peeta wasn't one to ever break a promise and if he said that _nothing _would happen to him and that he wasn't going _anywhere._..then that's how it would be.

When they separated, Katniss gave a small smile and asked, "Now that I think about it, I'd actually like to hear about your trip to District 1. All that romance and poetry and kissing hands...I'd like to hear more. It sounds...intriguing."

Peeta smiled and said, "Okay. How about we hang out after school today and I'll tell you _all_ about it?"

"Alright. Hey, maybe you could introduce me to Delly then, too?"

"Sounds good," said Peeta. "She'll be ecstatic to meet you. She's always thought of you as a great person and has always admired you."

When Peeta had introduced the two, Katniss took an instant liking to Delly. She could see right away why Peeta was friends with her - she was extremely friendly. Likewise, Delly was simply thrilled to finally meet Katniss, who knew right then that if she ever needed someone to talk to, then Delly would be there. But she could only stay for an hour because she was going out for dinner that night with her parents so she had to be getting home. Peeta and Katniss decided to hang out a little bit longer.

"Oh, yeah!" said Peeta excitedly. "Almost forgot. Guess what's coming up next week?"

What?" she asked.

"Come on, don't you know?" he said, laughing. "It's the end of the month which means..."

"I don't _remember_ anything that's happening next week," she told him, confused. "Something in art class? A test?"

"Halloween, silly!" said Peeta and with the excitement in his voice, he sounded like a kid again. "October's almost over. I was wondering if you wanted to go trick-or-treating with me?"

Amused by this, Katniss laughed and said, "Uh, aren't we a bit old for that, Peeta? Isn't it usually kids who go around getting candy?"

Peeta shrugged and said casually, "Yeah, but there's no rule saying that us _bigger_ and older kids can't get some as well, right?"

"That's true," said Katniss, and couldn't help but grin.

"See!" Peeta exclaimed. "Even _you_ can't resist a bit of candy, sweetheart. What do you say? You up for some trick-or-treating?"

After a few seconds, she broke out in a smile and said, "Alright, I'll go. I'm guessing you want to dress up too?"

"Absolutely," was Peeta's quick answer. "Can't go collecting candy without a costume; that's half the fun gone. I was even thinking of going as a zombie and have _you_ as my zombie bride. What do you think? Scary enough?"

"_Definitely _scary enough," she said, suddenly looking forward to it.

"Gotta love Halloween," said Peeta with a playful wink.

The two shared a lot of laughs that night while going from house to house for candy. Their costumes were so frightening and realistic looking that most people gave a little gasp when they first saw them. An older woman even called for her husband to come take a look. The man only roared with laughter when he saw the impressive costumes. It was especially fun to see the little kids look at two zombies who were much taller than themselves. At one point, Katniss even raised her arms and gave the most terrifying moan she could. The kids thought it was the scariest thing they'd ever heard and ran off in the other direction.

"Katniss!" Peeta scolded, but he too couldn't help but laugh a little. "They're only kids."

"It's Halloween, Peeta!" she reminded him. "_**Anything**_ can happen!" She then took a few steps toward him and let out that same terrifying moan and he challenged her with an even louder one. The two then fell silent and burst out laughing before turning and heading onto the next street. By the end of the night, the two were rewarded with a full bag of treats and goodies.

"We'll have to do this again next year," Peeta suggested. "I forgot how good this candy is."

Katniss didn't answer. She only nodded and finished devouring a chocolate bar before grabbing a bag of chips and beginning the process of devouring them just as quickly.

"Slow down, sweetheart," said Peeta with a chuckle. "Or you're gonna get a stomach ache."

She shook her head and said, "No way. Halloween only comes once a year." She then grinned at him and said, "Gotta enjoy it while it's here, Peeta."

"That's true, he smiled. "Well, in that case, can you hand me some of that licourice?"

With Halloween over, that meant the month of October was officially done; it was now the start of November. It was the start of a new, fresh month and Katniss got a sense that this month would be one of the _**best.**_ She wasn't sure why she felt so, but the feeling was there all the same and it made her look forward to seeing what this month had to offer.

One night, as she was dozing off and on her way to dreamland, she took a sudden change in direction and wound up in a place she absolutely hated – in a nightmare. She hadn't had one in a while but she was certainly on her way into one now. At first she was puzzled at where it had taken her but then she realized she was at a carnival. As the dream progressed, her mind seemed to get foggier and it was near impossible to make out what was happening around her. She remembered a few images – a massive ferries wheel that was erupting in flames coming off its track and rolling towards her; dozens of people running and screaming; wild animals stalking for prey, rides bursting into flames and coming apart, and the occasional sound of gunshots.

Luckily, the nightmare vanished and once again she was entering the place she loved visiting every night – dreamland. No longer was the carnival in flames. People weren't screaming and running; they were laughing and smiling and having a wonderful time. That's when she felt a tap on her shoulder and when she turned to see who it was her face lit up like it was Christmas.

"Where to, sweetheart?" asked Peeta with a smile. She returned his smile and took his hand into hers as she led them off towards the Ferris wheel. As they made their way towards it, there was a single word being whispered into her ear. She had no idea what it meant or why she was hearing it but it gave her a feeling of..._contentment, protection _and _comfort._

That's when she was convinced that November was _indeed _going to be an _**amazing**_ month.


	15. A Clock is Ticking

Chapter 15: A Clock is Ticking

Ever since November had come around, Peeta found his sleeps were becoming invaded by nightmares far more than they ever had before. Up until now, every once in a while he'd be faced with a visit from the envious hawk but he could then go a few days without seeing it. This wasn't the case anymore. Every night when he put his head on his pillow in hopes of getting a relaxing, peaceful sleep he was thrown into the world of terrors and there to greet him was none other than Hawthorne. He no longer appeared as himself but rather, he'd emerge as the enormous bird with the killer talons and snapping beak that wanted nothing but to rip Peeta's body apart. It was growing restless and impatient and was sick of its enemy proving time and again that he and Katniss would _not_ be separated. It was as if Peeta were throwing spears into its heart or pouring a thick poison into its mouth; it made the hawk that much more determined to claim the girl as its own...and he'd stop at nothing to make that a reality.

There was one night that Peeta was desperate to escape. Like he usually did, he tried to remind and convince himself that it was only a dream and that he couldn't get hurt. But the hawk was screeching so loudly and flapping its wings so violently that he was starting to fear the pain he might feel if one of its curved claws found a spot in his beating heart. He did the only thing he ever did when chased by the monster and that was to run. He pumped his legs as fast as he could but despite his efforts, the door to his freedom and escape only drew farther and farther away with every step.

"You're in for it now, you _fucker_!" it howled. It was now soaring directly above him but it was in no hurry. It had its prey right in its sight and no way was it getting away. "You've been lucky so far...but your luck has run out."

Peeta was out of breath and panting heavily. He desperately needed air or else he knew he'd black out in a second. He glanced around and saw the sky above him turning a deep, gloomy red. In a moment the clouds had darkened into black and looked like giant crows that guarded the sky for the ruling hawk. The sun was setting behind a distant hill and soon enough the whole place would be dark and filled of shadows. All the while, the constant shrieks of the hawk grew louder than ever. Peeta wasn't sure how much more his throbbing ears could take. On top of that, his eyes were starting to burn as if the air around him were made of acid.

"_Go away_..." Peeta cried weakly. He was starting to cough and his throat felt as dry as sandpaper. "Just leave me _**alone**_!"

"Leave you _alone_?" the hawk screamed in a rage that made Peeta's blood run cold. "I'll in no way leave you alone after what you so boldly went and did! You know she belongs to me so before things get truly _**ugly**_...why don't you listen to me when I tell you to hand her _over_! It's the final straw...so choose _carefully_."

"_No_!" screamed Peeta. "I'm not leaving her and I'm not letting you _steal_ her!"

"So foolish," the hawk mocked in fury. "And so fuckin' unwise. I think I've just about had it with you, Bread Boy. You've crossed the line; I'm done with giving you warnings. It's clear you don't listen so instead of wasting both my time and yours, I think I'll just do what I _should_ have done the second you laid eyes on her."

Peeta cried out in hopes of somehow getting pulled out of this living horror but no hand was there to reach down and save him. He was completely and utterly alone and the hawk knew it all too well. It was like a prowling cat on a helpless mouse and in this case...Peeta was the doomed critter with no chance of escape. It wasn't long before he heard the bird make a quick flap of its wings before diving down to meet its foe. That's when Peeta gasped in shock as both his feet turned unbearably cold as if he'd stepped in a foot of snow. He knew he was a goner when he looked down and saw his feet were encased in huge blocks of ice. When he realized just how powerless he was to get out of this hell, his entire body broke out in a torturous pain. Needles were jabbing at his eyes; his lips felt like they'd been sliced open with a knife and were bleeding unstoppably and his skin – though it wasn't in flames – was burning so painfully that all he could do was scream to the endless expanse of blackness above him.

"Why are you _doing_ this?" Peeta asked, wincing in agony. "Why can't you just leave us be?"

"What a foolish question," snapped the hawk. It landed on its feet and raised its head victoriously while circling Peeta like he was a slab of meat. "Surely you'd know how I feel about her by now, Mellark. Do you really think I'm going to let you and her stay together? You think I'm just going to stand by and let you and her grow happy together? Accept the fact that Katniss Everdeen doesn't belong to _you_...she belongs to _Gale Hawthorne_!"

"She doesn't _want_ that!" Peeta argued and though it hurt now even to speak, he didn't back down. "She told me herself that she loves me! She loves _me_ and I love _her_! You won't split us apart..."

"Oh, you think _so_?" said the hawk softly. It then let out a deafening howl that was filled with hunger and hatred as it bellowed, "Why don't I show you just how _truly __**wrong**_ you are about that?"

What followed was nothing but sheer torment for Peeta. Since he was unable to move or defend himself in any way, he was exposed and entirely vulnerable to this infuriated creature. All the wrath it kept boggled up inside of it was now finally coming out and it was all being aimed at Peeta Mellark. What he first felt were the pointed claws slashing and scraping at the skin on his arms. There were was nothing to liken the pain to; all he knew was that it felt like a massive knife were slicing him open. The hawk showed no mercy or pity for this screaming boy, if anything it only deepened his rage and the more he thought about Katniss and the brick wall that was now clearly between them...the more he wanted him _**dead.**_

Soon, Peeta's arms had been damaged beyond repair. He was bleeding so badly that he was surprised he hadn't yet passed out but he knew Hawthorne was in total control which meant he'd keep Peeta alive long enough to feel the pain and torture he was inflicting upon him. He wouldn't let him pass out and enter unconsciousness where he'd be oblivious to the hawk's burning rage. He wanted Peeta to know just how deep his hatred ran for him.

Next were his legs. They too were slashed open by the killer claws and if not for the ice holding him firm, he would have collapsed to the ground for sure. He then feared what torture would be next when he felt the long beak of the creature locking around his throat. But it didn't deliver the final blow...not yet. There was still work that had yet to be done.

Like his bleeding arms and legs, his entire body was about to meet the same, frightening fate. With each excruciating assault he screamed out with all the voice that was left in him. His eyes were plucked from their sockets by the talons of the hawk and he was left blind and sightless. The monster then went on to impair his hearing completely. His tongue was yanked out of his mouth and he instantly thought of the old legend that detailed the cruel and brutal torture of rebels who in punishment for their acts, had their tongues cut out so they could no longer speak. It was a thing that most had forgotten as it had happened years and years ago, but there were still those that remembered. It was then that he recalled the name – Avoxes. The hawk that was Hawthorne had officially turned him into an Avox.

"_Almost_ done," the hawk laughed. "But this last part...this _may_ hurt just a _**little**_."

The last two acts carried out by the vengeful hawk involved the swift breaking of Peeta's neck...and the removal of his heart from his chest. With its curved claws it shoved them into the boy's chest and having gotten a hold of his beating heart, it tightened its grip on the organ before ripping it out with one effortless pull.

"_**No**_!" cried Peeta, and awoke with a start. Like in his nightmare, he was still panting and breathing heavily and his body was covered in a fine sheath of sweat. But his eyes weren't burning, his throat wasn't dry and much to his relief, he realized his feet weren't enclosed in great blocks of ice. He was unharmed, alive and safe from the hawk's vengeance. The nightmare was over and once again he was in safe reality where the hawk was nonexistent. He was now feeling more tired than ever but feared if he dozed off he'd just end up in that same torturous spot again. So for the rest of the night, he did nothing but stare up at the blank, dark ceiling while thinking only of _Katniss._

A few days after he'd experienced the eerie nightmare, Peeta was starting to feel sick. His nose had become stuffy, he had a bit of a headache and there was a consistent amount of phlegm lodged in the back of his throat. So he decided he'd stay home for the day while resting and if all went well and he had a speedy recover, then he'd no doubt be back at school the following day.

While Peeta was home resting in bed, Katniss went about her day like she normally did. She went to her classes, hung out with Madge on free and when lunch came, she stopped by her locker to get her lunch before joining her friends in the cafeteria. That was the plan, but she hadn't expected a particular someone to walk up to her and ask to speak with her. When she first heard him speak, all she wanted was to grab her food and run off. She wanted nothing to do with this guy any more.

"Hi Katniss," the guy said, standing beside her while watching her carefully. His voice wasn't as angry or bitter as it had been in the past month but she figured he was just putting on some kind of act that he hoped she'd fall for. She wasn't having any part of it.

"I don't wanna talk, Gale. Just go—"

"Katniss, please," he said quietly. "Just give me a minute. I swear that's all I need."

"Why should I?" she demanded, staring him right in the eye. "I already told you I didn't want to see or talk to you if you kept bashing Peeta. If you can't accept that we're together, then you're just gonna have to keep your distance. I told you I didn't mind being friends with you but not if you kept going on the way you were."

"That's why I wanted to talk to you," he told her. "I...I've been thinking a lot about things."

"And what did you come up with?" said Katniss suspiciously.

"I thought long and hard about you and Peeta," Gale explained, his tone calm and in control. "I won't lie. I was a bit upset at first but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much you care about him. What hurt me the most was not seeing or talking to you. All I wanted was to still have you in my life...but as a friend. I've _missed_ you, Catnip. A lot."

"How can I believe you?" she said flatly. "How come all of a sudden you're missing me so much?"

"It's not just now, though," he told her softly. "It's been _all_ the time. I've missed hanging out with you on free and I find my life's just been so much lonelier without you in it. I see you everywhere at school and it's not easy when all I think about is you, and the time we spent together. It's hard thinking that your best friend who you've known forever isn't part of your life anymore."

There was a brief pause before Gale said, "I want to be friends again, Katniss."

Katniss kept her eyes on him for a short moment before telling him, "Gale I...I don't think I want to be friends again. Not right now, though. It just feels too soon."

Gale nodded and asked quietly, "I understand but...could we maybe...try again soon?"

"I don't know," said Katniss. "I'll have to think about it."

"Okay," said Gale. He then reached out and hesitating only for a second, he put his hand on her shoulder. He gazed right into her eyes and told her genuinely, "Just know that I'm still here for you, Catnip. If you ever want to talk or re-consider our friendship, just come and find me, alright?"

"Alright," she said, and then made her way down the hall. Gale stood watching her leave and once she was out of sight, he turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

She was pleased to know that Peeta was doing well and within a few days, he was back at school. While at home, he'd been able to keep up with homework and assignments which Katniss made sure to drop off at his house every day. Along with that, he'd made sure to eat plenty of soup and drink plenty of liquids and not get out of bed unless it was really necessary like going to the bathroom. Any bit of work he'd been required to complete for art, biology and math were both started and finished. It had been weird not having him around at school and though she had her friends for company, it just wasn't the same as spending time with Peeta. She chuckled to herself thinking that if she missed him when he'd been gone for merely a few days, how she'd get by if he was gone for _**much**_ longer than that.

"_I don't know what I'd do_," she thought. "_It's too...too lonely without him_."

On the day of his return, the two decided to head down to their special place down by the lake and spend some time there before heading home. An hour ago they'd just started a new project in art and it was the most exciting and interesting one yet. Each student along with their partner was required to plan, construct and paint a mask of their very own. The actual building of the mask would be done with teamwork and both individuals would help build it together. The painting and decorating of the mask, however, would be done somewhat separately. Mr. Odair had suggested for each mask to have two parts to it, and that each person would color and decorate a different portion. This way the mask would be done both jointly and individually. Peeta and Katniss had already written down what they'd like to paint onto their portion of the mask. Peeta was going with a "bakery" themed idea and planned on painting anything from cookies, cakes, cupcakes, brownies or bread on his. Katniss had chosen to paint mockingjays on hers but rather than paint them each their normal black-and-white color, she'd paint them in various colors and give it a rainbow kind of feel.

When they got there, the two stopped for a moment and looked out at the impressive view. The water was just as calm and beautiful as always; there was a light wind stirring in the trees; wildflowers of every color spread out before them and the silence was tranquil and soothing. They both agreed that this was their perfect place if ever they needed time for themselves, a quiet place to think or a place where they could simply be_ together_ without any interruptions.

They then took a seat down where they normally sat which was behind the dozens of flowers and looked once more out onto the water.

"I love coming here," Peeta commented.

"I know," Katniss agreed. "It's just so...peaceful."

"It's like it's a place just for _us_," he said with a smile. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah, it kind of is," she answered, liking the idea. "It's only us whenever we come here, which is nice."

"I think I might start doing my drawings here," said Peeta thoughtfully. "It would definitely be a great spot for that. Maybe you and I could both do that."

"That's actually a good idea," she told him. "We could even do paintings of the trees and water and whatnot. Paint this whole place, you know?"

"Now _that _would be a challenge," said Peeta, but he then broke out in a smile and said, "But a _fun_ one."

There was a brief pause, then Katniss said, "I just thought of something."

"What?" asked Peeta curiously.

"You know the photo album Delly has of you?" she told him. "The one with the pictures of you and her as kids?"

Peeta nodded and said, "Yeah."

"I'd like to make one, too," said Katniss. "Of _us. _Not when we were kids, but pictures of us being together. I've got so many pictures on my camera that I'd love to put them in an album or something. Then we'll always have that to look back on."

"I _love_ that," said Peeta. "It can be a book of memories for you and me. We can put in a picture of us down here by the lake, in art class or when you came over to help me study for math and we made that awesome cake." He chuckled and said, "I called it Peeta and Katniss's Cake. Remember?"

"Oh, I remember," she said laughing. "That'll definitely be one of the ones I put in."

"I know which photo can be first," he suggested. "It can be the first photo we see when we open the album."

"Which one?" she asked.

"That day we came down here," he said softly, a smile crossing his face at the joyous memory. "It was the day I told you how much I loved you and you told me _you_ felt the same way. It was the day we officially became a couple. Seems like a great photo to start the album off with, since that's where it _all_ began."

"Then that's the one that'll be first," she smiled. It made perfect sense to start the album off with the one photo that reminded them of the time they'd spent down at the lake which was where their relationship had reached an entirely new level.

"Almost forgot!" he said and quickly started digging through his bag. He found what he was looking for and pulled out a small bag of something orange-colored.

"Cheese buns," he smiled. "I made them yesterday and saved some for you. I'm pretty sure you'll like them. And I made sure to put extra cheese on these ones...so they're _really_ cheesy."

"They_ look_ cheesy," she said, staring at the small buns with a hungry look in her eyes. It was then that she suddenly felt her mouth starting to water.

"Here, try one," he laughed and held one out to her. She took it and lifted it to her nose while taking a deep sniff. She then put it in her mouth, took a huge bite and when she swallowed...her face lit up. Her eyes grew wide and before she had time to tell him how terrific it tasted, she'd stuffed the rest of it in her mouth.

Peeta's response was to chuckle in amusement and toss her the bag while telling her, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"These are amazing," she said, taking a bite out of her second. She chewed, swallowed and asked him, "Can you start making these all the time?"

"_All _the time?" he asked surprised, and then said with a smile, "That's a _lot_ of buns, sweetheart. How about once or twice a week instead?"

She thought for a moment and then said, "That works too."

"Alright," he said with finality. "Every week you'll get to eat some of Peeta Mellark's Cheesy Cheese Buns."

She burst out laughing at the name and asked, "Do you _really _call them that? Peeta's Cheesy Cheese Buns?"

"No," he admitted, but then grinned and said, "I just thought it sounded funny."

The two fell silent for a moment. Peeta then turned his head and looked at Katniss and asked as if it were the only thing in the world he wanted right then, "Can you sing for me, Katniss?"

"Okay," she answered. "Do you want me to sing the Valley Song again?"

"Do you know any other songs?" said Peeta.

"There_ is_ one," said Katniss. "I've only ever really heard it or sung it since I was little...but I remember it."

"What's it called?"

"The Hanging Tree," she told him, and then went on to sing the song she'd known since she was a child.

_Are you are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Where they strung up a man they say murdered three_

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

As he let the words float into his mind he was suddenly hit with an image. He then quickly realized that what he was actually seeing were the words themselves in the form of a picture. What he was seeing was the Hanging Tree itself and indeed there was a man strung up by a rope around his neck. He looked harder and it then hit him that the man dangling from the tree _was_ the murderer.

_Are you are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Where the dead man called out for his love to flee_

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

The man was now calling out in a voice of death for his only lover to flee, but the truth hit Peeta instantly. The guy wasn't trying to save his love from the same fate; he was trying to lure her into it. Peeta was frozen in place and watched in silence as she slowly made her way up to the tree. It was too frightening to watch so with all the voice that was in him, Peeta yelled, "_Don't!_" As if she'd heard him, the image of the woman vanished and Peeta felt a sense of blurriness as the whole scene grew dark.

_Are you are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free_

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

The man hanging from the tree was reappearing, along with the doomed woman. She was now almost at the tree and staring at the body that belonged to her deceased lover. She took the rope in her hands and looked once more to her dead husband.

_Are you are you_

_Coming to the tree_

_Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me_

_Strange things did happen here_

_No stranger would it be_

_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

The woman now hung lifeless beside her husband and the whole thing then made sense to Peeta. All along, the man had been attempting to lure his wife into hanging side by side with him...and he'd succeeded. The image of the two lovers dangling from the tree was clear for only a second longer and then everything winked out.

Though the scene in his head was gone, he could still hear the mesmerizing voice of Katniss replaying the song over and over. Her voice was calming and soothing and there was only one thought that came to his mind at that very moment.

He looked her in the eyes and said softly, "You have no idea. The _**effect**_ you can have."

She gave him a smile and told him, "Maybe I'll do some more singing when we come down here, then."

"I'd_ love_ that, sweetheart," said Peeta sincerely.

Katniss crawled up onto Peeta's lap and put her head on his shoulder; they stayed like this for what felt like forever. He ran his fingers gently through her hair while occasionally stopping to caress her face. The warmth of his touch was like nothing she'd ever felt and gave her a sense of such safety and happiness...that she never wanted to leave feeling of being in his arms.

"Stay with me?" she said quietly.

He gave her a soft, gentle kiss, pressed his forehead against hers and whispered, "_**Always**_."


	16. Peeta, DON'T!

**A/N: While writing this chapter, I was playing "Rue's Farewell" help me really get into this part of the story. So if you like listening to music while reading, I suggest maybe playing that as you read.**

Chapter 16: Peeta, DON'T!

The next day turned out to be one that dragged by awfully slow. Peeta's first class was biology and so far it was proving just as dull as any other. Mr. Boggs was now moving onto the topic of worms and just as they'd done with frogs, he was detailing how a dissection would work with this organism. Peeta was never one to doze off in class but that didn't mean he didn't come dangerously close to letting his eyes close on him from time to time. Today was one of those days. He was just seconds away from setting his head on the desk and getting a few z's...when he heard something. Unsure of where it was coming from, he glanced around and realized it was nobody in the room calling out to him. That's when he looked to his right and saw a sight that made any thoughts of nodding off...vanish completely.

There was a person standing outside the classroom window; he was standing stock still as if his feet were glued to the ground. At a first glance, Peeta never recalled having seem him around school which meant only one thing...he wasn't a student of Madderson High. He was about Peeta's size and looked about the same age but his appearance was nothing like Peeta's. His hair was black, longish and fell nearly to his shoulders. His eyes were a greyish color like Katniss's but where hers were a more light color, his was like a black shadow. It made Peeta think of night-time and darkness and it gave him a truly horrid feeling as if those eyes could see, hear and read every thought in his head. He was dressed all in black; a black shirt, jeans and some kind of thick black bracelet around his arm. The guy wasn't smiling or looked like he was even a remotely happy person. All that Peeta could determine from his face was that the guy looked..._crazy._ That was the only word Peeta could use to describe the guy he was staring at. And though he wasn't sure why, as he sat staring at this guy dressed all in black...it made his blood run cold.

That's when the guy gave the tiniest of a grin and said calmly, "Peeta..." But that wasn't what got Peeta freaked out. It was when the guy put his hand behind his back, reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Whether it was real, a dream or just an odd vision in his head...Peeta wasn't sure, but this guy was truly starting to freak him out.

"_NO!_" Peeta shouted. Everyone in the class turned and looked at him with surprise and confusion on their face. Mr. Boggs turned and gave Peeta a puzzled expression, but along with that he seemed a little annoyed at having had his lecture interrupted.

"Everything all right, Peeta?" he asked sternly.

"Y-yeah...I-I'm fine," said Peeta, feeling suddenly embarrassed. "Sorry..."

"Alright then," Boggs said, who quickly got back to his teaching.

But Peeta was anything but calm. He might have looked calm, but his mind was screaming out of control at seeing that stranger staring at him from outside the window. When he looked at the window again...the stranger was gone. He could still hear the guy's deep, flat voice and it was now hissing a phrase in his head. The words were clear as day and when Peeta heard them, his stomach did a flip. He couldn't understand what it meant or why he was hearing it.

The words were: "_**Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen -**_ _**The Star-Crossed Lovers from District 12."**_ But as he repeated the phrase over in his head, he came to the realization that it wasn't the guy outside the window who was saying it...it was the _hawk_. Gale's voice was hollering the words in Peeta's mind as if he had a single point he was trying to make, or something he was trying to _make happen._

Peeta knew he had to get up and walk around a bit while trying to calm himself down. Sitting in that classroom and remembering what he'd seen outside that window was too freaky of a thing for him to ignore...so he got up out of his chair. He politely excused himself and hurried off, not wanting to be there any longer. The only person he wanted to see right then was Katniss. He'd tell her what he'd seen, and she'd make everything better by reassuring him that it was only in his head. It was a thing his imagination had come up with to give him a fright. It was all just a nasty scare.

He knew he'd most likely find her in the cafeteria sitting with Madge, Johanna, Glimmer and Clove. She was almost always there, so he decided that's where he'd go. That was the plan. He'd go to the cafeteria, talk to Katniss and she'd get rid of any fears or worries of what he'd seen. If only he'd known what was about to unfold there in the halls of Madderson High in just under a few minutes...he probably never would have left biology class. He would have stayed there and _not_ gone out to wander the halls in search of Katniss. But that was all too late now. He'd made the decision to leave class and go off in search for Katniss Everdeen...without knowing the hell that was about to be unleashed.

He was making his way quickly through the halls. He was only a minute or so from reaching the cafeteria...when the P.A. system came alive. Normally, when he heard announcements he wouldn't think much of them because they'd mostly be related to sports or upcoming events or things in general that might not be of great importance to him. But what he soon heard made him wish he'd stayed back in the classroom and not gone rushing into the halls.

It was the voice of Principal Snow. Though Peeta couldn't see the guy, he could hear as plain as anything the obvious concern that was in his voice. There was panic in his words, but he was doing a remarkable job at hiding it, so as not to alarm and frighten the many students of the school.

Peeta stopped moving and dropped his gaze to the floor as he listened to Principal Snow announce, "_Students and Staff, attention. It is necessary at this time to begin a school wide __**lockdown**__. I repeat...a school wide lockdown. All students are to remain in class. Any students in the hallways are to enter the nearest open classroom at once. Teachers, lock your classroom doors. Ignore a fire alarm. No one, under any circumstances, is to leave the classroom until further notice_."

There was one last thing the Principal added before his voice disappeared. He announced, "_It has come to our attention that an unidentified __**gunman**__ has entered the school and is threatening to __**bomb**__ the school if any student or teacher tries to approach him. All students and staff remain hidden__until help has arrived. __**Do not go near him."**_

The second Principal Snow announced they were entering a lockdown, Peeta's mind went only to one place. He couldn't go to the nearest classroom. Until he knew that she was safe and out of harm's way, there was only one thing he had to do right then...and that to find her. It was as if everything else the Principal had said went in one ear and out the other. Katniss...he _**had**_ to get to her. Make sure she was _safe._ It was _all_ that mattered. _Nothing else_ mattered but ensuring her absolute safety. Where students were hurrying their way into the classrooms and finding a place to hide...Peeta wasn't. He had only one single, overriding thing he had to make sure of and that was Katniss's protection. With that in mind, he turned and faster than he'd ever moved in his entire life...ran down the halls of Madderson High.

Katniss _had_ been spending her free with her friends, just as Peeta had guessed. But what he hadn't known was that she'd left them to go to her locker and put her books away. It was a thing she did every day, usually around this time. And like always – once her books had been put away – she took the same route she normally did to get back to the cafeteria, and that was the longer route. When she left her locker and walked straight down the hall, she'd make a turn and find herself in a longer and even wider hallway. There were no classrooms, doors or windows here. The walls, however, were covered in various paintings that had been done by students of Mr. Odair's classes. She liked taking this route because each time she took it, she could expect to see new and even more incredible works of art up on display.

When she stopped to observe them, her eyes fell on one that made her break out in a knowing smile. It was a portrait of herself and the sketcher...was none other than _Peeta_. It was the first assignment they'd done in art and she remembered how bad she'd thought her portrait of Peeta had been. He, of course, told her it was lovely and as she stood there staring at his portrait...she couldn't _wait _to see him in art, which was her next class. She couldn't wait for the two to finally get started on the mask they were both so excited about and before she had time to think of anything else...she heard the voice of Principal Snow over the P.A. system. She listened carefully and when it hit her that they were now officially entering a lockdown...a fear like she'd never experienced came over her. It occurred to her that one false move, one false mistake...and Madderson High would be blown to bits.

She had to get to a classroom, any classroom. All she could think about right now was getting to safety and...but _**Peeta!**_ It suddenly hit her that he was somewhere in the school. She only prayed that he was in a classroom with the door locked, windows shut, blinds down...and huddled in some spot where the gunman hopefully wouldn't reach him, or think to look. She wished more than anything that the two could be in the same room together, so if worst came to worst and things did turn out tragic, whether that was the gunman pointing the gun at them or the school was blown into oblivion ...they would at least be _together_. She feared death but what she feared even more was dying alone without Peeta to be there with her.

She was seconds from hurrying down the hall to get into a classroom when she considered something else and..._**BAM!**_ A gunshot was fired which meant the gunman had officially opened fire. To her immense relief it sounded like it had come from the opposite side of the school, which meant at least the shooter wasn't within range of her. But if he was opening fire...did that mean students were getting _shot_? Was his plan to take down as many victims as possible before help arrived and he was dragged off? With the threat of bombing the school lingering in the air, there was no way somebody would even consider stopping him. It just wasn't a chance that was worth taking...not if it meant the bombing of an entire school and the death of thousands.

She _had_ to get moving. If she stayed where she was there was a frighteningly real possibility that she'd run into the gunman while searching for safety...and her life would be over in a heartbeat. All that was needed was one trigger of the gun and she'd get blasted into nothingness. She ignored the aching in her head and the numbness in her legs as she started her way down the hall.

She'd barely moved three steps before two more gunshots were fired. Unlike the first, these two were far louder and seemed much more powerful. She knew if she could hear them better than she had the first then that meant only one thing – the gunman was getting closer...to _**her.**_

But she wasn't thinking about that. Her mind and thoughts were on somebody else – and that was her _father_. He'd been gunned down by a storm of bullets and the sound of a gunshot _alone_ was enough to get her whole body shaking and make her mind feel like it was exploding in fright. It didn't matter how many times the sound of a bullet reached her ear. It would always be a sound that brought nothing but grief and anguish for her.

She'd started thinking of him when the first bullet had gone off, but she was able to keep strong and focus on getting to a classroom and safety. Any bit of strength she'd had was completely thrown out the window when she'd heard the shots that had been fired only a moment ago. It was like the sound of the gun had reopened a part of her memory that she hated returning to. It was a place that for years she'd tried her hardest to keep stored in the back of her mind and not let the pain of it break her apart. But the sound of the screaming bullets had brought the nightmarish memory back to life. Her head was no longer aching...it was _throbbing._ Her legs were no longer numb...they were paralyzed with _fear. _She noticed the lockers and walls around her were fuzzy and unclear, as if her sight was giving out on her and any bit of sound she might have heard...she no longer could and _that _was because she was _falling apart._

She hardly realized what was happening next. All she knew was that she felt herself lying on the ground while the pain of the memory ate away at her. There was no way she could fight off the invasion that was happening in her mind, so she lowered her head to the ground, put her cheek on the cold, hard floor and fell into a _blackness _that lasted all but a few _seconds_...

She was on a lonely sidewalk. The yellowish glow from the streetlights above her flickered on and off. Everything around her looked like it was cast in dark, gloomy shadows. Somewhere in the distance a dog was howling. A steady rain was falling around her but the raindrops felt all but invisible. It was the same with the people that passed by her; it was like they weren't even there. All she saw was the man in front of her who was on his way home after having gone out to get a few groceries. He held the two bags in his hand and walked with a smile on his face.

Little did the man know he'd set out that night to stare death in the face. When Katniss turned she saw an even taller, bigger man following behind him and there was a look of sheer _evil_ in the guy's face. In his hand he grasped a gun and when Katniss called out to the doomed man, her voice was inaudible. She realized with horror that no one could hear her. No one could see her. She was just a, unfortunate witness in this tragic event and no matter how loud she screamed...nobody heard her.

"_**Dad!**_" she hollered, and ran up beside him. She tried grabbing at his arms but he continued walking. Her efforts were useless since he could hear none of her shouting and couldn't feel the grip of her hand. She was now in tears and her throat was getting try as she desperately tried to save her father.

"T-there's someone _behind_ you!" she sobbed, clutching onto her father's arm. But she wasn't holding the arm of her father...she was holding nothing but air. "Dad, _STOP_! T-turn around! _**Please**_!"

The man was drawing nearer and with a wicked grin, he was pulling out his gun. Katniss had no time to react or try again to grab onto her father and get him out of harm's way before the man was raising the gun. It was like time and everything in it had stopped when she stared, traumatized, at the weapon that was about to a take the man that meant the _**world**_ to her. The streetlights stopped flickering; the howling of the dog stopped, the shadows had left and even the steady fall of rain had stopped.

Then, pulling the trigger and chuckling so softly that Katniss missed it...he let loose and the bullet went _screaming_ into her father's back. The man instantly crumpled to the ground and the pain and shock of it all was too much for Katniss to handle. She had to get out of this living hell. She had to get out, get somewhere..._anywhere _but there. It was a place of horrors and nightmares. It was the place where her father had been shot and killed in cold blood.

To her relief, she _was_ pulled out of the terror, but for a second or two she was wondering if she really _had _been. She was seeing a kind of light above her but it was so blurred and out of focus that it could have been nothing. She could hear a voice, but she wasn't sure if the voice was real or part of the memory that she might still have been a part of. She listened carefully and was reassured to find that her hearing was untouched after all. She then heard the voice again, though it was much louder and more frantic and that's when it struck her that it was a _guy's_ voice. She was unsure if it was a voice she was familiar with or had even heard before but as it kept on speaking...she remembered a name. Did the name belong to this guy? Or was it the name of somebody else?

She was still thinking of her father though and the bullet that had taken his life. She just couldn't escape from the agony of his death as if the pain _refused_ to quit tormenting her.

"_Dad_..." she murmured, and the image of him falling to the ground flashed in her head. She heard his cry in pain and shock and how he looked so much like a ragdoll as his body lay on the hard ground...lifeless and unmoving. _That _was the haunting image that would forever remain in her mind.

"_**Katniss!**_"

She blinked and tried making out whose voice this belonged to. Nothing right now was making sense. She felt tired, confused and all she wanted more than anything right then was to crawl into bed and fall into a peaceful sleep. But whoever was shouting her name, it was obvious they were trying to help her. But then she recalled the gunshots she'd heard just seconds ago, the ones she'd heard before she'd been sucked into the vision of her father's murder...and she remembered. It was still unclear to her but it was starting to make just a little more sense. There was something about a...a _gunman._

"Where...where am—"

"_**Katniss!**_ Come on, Katniss! _**Get up**_!"

Things were clearing up. She could see a guy's face directly in front of her and by the way he was shouting and the panicked look in his eyes...he was frightened beyond words. But who _was _he? She tried squinting her eyes in hopes of getting a better look at him, when...

"_Peeta_?" she said tiredly.

Peeta put his hands firmly on her shoulders and gave her a forceful shake while shouting, "Katniss! It's me! You gotta get up...**NOW!**"

"But, what's...what's going—"

When Peeta spoke next, it was with a fear that she hoped she'd never have to hear in her life again. Never had she heard true fear in Peeta's voice but that was all that was in his voice right now. She could even see that he was shaking. "A gunman's in the school, Katniss! We gotta get to a classroom! Now! You _gotta_ get _up_!"

She blinked again and let Peeta quickly get her up onto her feet. It was clear that she was still shaky and unstable after having been inside the hallucination of her father's death, but Peeta was right there to help her up and ensure she got nowhere but to safety. He kept his arm tightly around her shoulder in case she felt she'd fall to the ground, but Peeta's strength was holding steady. If there was anyone in the world that could protect her and be there if ever she needed him...it was Peeta. It wasn't until she'd started hurrying down the hall that she was struck with the fear of how she'd _ever_ get by without him. What would she ever do without the boy with the bread? It hit her that losing him would be like a massive hole getting punched into her life. Who would be there to help her with all things to do with art? Who would she bake cakes and cookies with while laughing because she'd dropped an egg? Who would she help get better with math? But above all, who would sit with her by their special place down by the lake and the wildflowers and murmur "I love you's" while admiring the view? The answer was..._**no one.**_

They were almost at the end of the hall. There hadn't been any gunshots fired in the past minute so the two could only hope they were out of harm's way long enough to get to a classroom. Even better, perhaps help had arrived at that very second and soon the gunman would be surrounded by an even more intimidating force than himself. It was all they could hope for as they drew closer to the end of the hall. It was only a few _seconds_ they needed. Just a _few seconds_ to get them out of the hall and into a classroom.

It was a few seconds that got snatched right out of their grasp. They had been so close and yet so hopelessly far from getting to safety...but their efforts were in _**vain.**_ Even if they'd gone just a little bit faster their efforts would _still _have been for nothing. They _never _had a chance of escaping from that lonely hall because waiting for them around the corner and at the end was _what_ they'd been running from. They weren't aware of this till they were just reaching the end and then...he showed himself.

It took Peeta all of one second to realize that he knew this guy. He might not have known him personally but he'd seen him only minutes ago. He was the guy dressed all in black who he'd seen standing stock-still outside the window of his biology class. He looked creepy then, but seeing him standing here in the flesh was downright chilling. He was still dressed in black but unlike before, he was also wearing a long black coat that completely covered his shirt and jeans. His eyes still had the crazed look of a madman and when Peeta's eyes met the gunman's...he swore his heart skipped a beat.

What he also realized was that seeing this guy hadn't been a trick of his mind. It had been real, and the guy was now standing in front of Peeta and Katniss with a gun at his side. Without even thinking, Peeta took Katniss by the hand and silently started pulling her back. He knew there was no escaping this armed gunman but the only thought crossing his mind right then was protecting Katniss. He wasn't even thinking about himself or anything else...only that she _had_ to be kept _**safe**_. That was all that mattered.

"Where ya goin'?" the guy asked calmly. He didn't move, follow them or even raise his gun to open fire. He simply stood there with his arms at his sides and an eerie smile on his face. "Got nowhere to hide."

"T-the police are coming," Katniss said, barely getting the words out. "They're gonna b-be here any—"

"Minute?" the guy asked, finishing her sentence. "You think I give a _fuck_?"

Peeta stared at the guy with widened eyes. He kept glancing between the guy's glaring eyes and the gun grasped in his hand. It was like his mind had gone blank and he was having trouble making sense of what was happening. The whole thing felt completely and utterly...like a _nightmare._

"Y-you're not _really _gonna bomb the school," Katniss said, her voice cracking. "People only say that so everyone will—"

"Oh, _**really**_?" the guy interrupted with an amused smirk. "You think so...?" He spread his arms out on either side of him and it was unmistakable what he'd placed in the pockets of his black jacket – bombs. They were small in size and round-shaped but there was no doubt in Katniss's mind that they'd be of enough force to bring down the entire school and leave it in ashes.

"Still think I'm _bluffing_?"

Peeta took a nervous breath and asked shakily, "W-what do want?"

"I want _you_, Peeta," was the guy's answer.

Peeta just stared at the guy with his mouth open in fear and confusion. He hadn't been aware of it, but in those few long seconds his heart had started to beat faster. The guy laughed as if the whole thing were all but comical for him, and then raised his gun.

"In front of her...now," was all he said, keeping his gun on Peeta.

"W-wait, just think this over first—" Peeta said desperately, but with a grim feeling that whatever he said from this point on would accomplish..._**nothing. **_His words would go in one ear and out the other for the gunman.

"_**NOW!**_" the guy hissed.

Peeta quickly got in front of Katniss and without hesitating for even a second...took one of her hands and held it tightly in his own. He could feel the quiver in her hand as she did all she could to stay calm and under control...but she was _anything_ but. Her eyes never left the gun that was pointed directly at them and soon she found it was hard even to breathe. The most she could do was take deep breaths and try not to let her body go limp as she fought to keep standing.

Peeta took a breath, and asked in a trembling voice, "W-what's this...all about?"

"I'm here for you, Peeta," the guy told him bluntly. "I don't give a shit about that girl behind you or even about this whole fuckin' school. All I care about is you."

"W-what?" was all he get out. His voice was now in a frightened whisper and he feared his heart might leap out of his chest if it pumped any faster.

"I'm not here to cause a massacre," he explained, staring into Peeta's eyes. "I'm only here for _**one **_person and that person is _**you**_."

What the gunman then said was so unbearably painful that Peeta felt like his entire life was flashing before his eyes...and there wasn't a single thing he could do about it.

"I'm here to _kill_ _**you**_, Peeta!" the guy snarled with an evil grin. "I don't give a fuck about this stupid school. I'm only here for you. You move...and you _**both**_ die. If she tries to move, then it's the same thing...you both go down. And if either one of you move, not only that...but this whole fuckin' school gets blown into nothing."

Tears were streaming down Katniss's face. Once more her head was throbbing, her arms and legs were numb and the whole scene felt like it was blurry and hazy. The only thing that remained clear as day was the gun that was still in the guy's hand. It wasn't going to leave his hand because he was here to make sure one thing happened...and that was the death of the person that meant absolutely everything to her – Peeta Mellark.

"_Why_ are you _**doing **_this?" she cried, letting the tears fall down her face. It was a struggle to even speak now but somehow, with the greatest of difficulty, she was able to get the words out of her mouth.

"_Why_ isn't important," the guy said, glancing between Peeta and Katniss. His eyes were on them like a predator does to its prey. They weren't going anywhere and the gunman knew it all too well. They were trapped and caged in a _fate_ that would not be denied.

Katniss tightened her grip on Peeta's hand and put her other on his neck as she told him in a choking voice, "Peeta, we have to move. We can't let—"

"_**No**_," he whispered, and by the tone in his voice Katniss knew instantly that Peeta had realized seconds ago how hopeless the dilemma was. He'd known it the moment the guy raised the gun on him. She hadn't wanted to accept what could happen but he knew it couldn't be ignored. "Katniss...we _**can't**_."

"Peeta, you _can't_ let him!" she shouted, and the tears just kept on coming. She was near screaming now but she had to get Peeta thinking properly. She had to get through to him! She did all she could to get out of his grasp but his hands were holding her tight.

"Don't you dare try and move, Katniss!" he said shakily, but firmly. Tears fell out of his eyes as he told her, "Don't you _dare _try and move..."

He turned his head and the look he gave her made her want to crawl in a hole...and _die_. She wanted to find some lonely hall and bury herself into it and never have to face the cruel world again.

"Think of everyone else," he said quietly, but he couldn't hold back his tears. He was now crying and the anguish in his voice was all Katniss could hear as he revealed to her how there was _no_ way around what _had_ to be done. "Our friends: Madge, Johanna, Glimmer, Clove, Cato, Marvel. They'll _all_ be dead."

He then put his face close to hers and stared deep into her eyes. In a chocking voice, he whispered, "Your _family_, Katniss. They _need_ you. Your mother and sister _both_ need you. You have to stay with them."

"_**No**_!" she argued, not letting go of his hand. "I'm not _leaving_ you! I'm _not_ letting you do this."

He pressed his head against hers and gave her a soft, quick kiss that felt like it lasted for an eternity. He then whispered, "_**I love you Katniss Everdeen. I love you so, so much...**_"

He then turned his head and looked back to the gunman. The guy was watching Peeta with such an intense, unblinking stare that Katniss wanted to block the image out of her sight. It was then that something strange happened that left her all but confused. Peeta's hand was no longer quivering and the fear in his eyes had transformed into...a sort of _calmness_. His body was still and his breathing wasn't coming in quick, short gasps like hers was...it was normal. It was both terrifying and unexplainable and made her wonder what thoughts were racing through Peeta Mellark's mind at that very second. Was there a chance that he was..._recognizing_ the _**inevitable**_?

The gunman then gave a last grin before declaring, "Looks like you really are_...__**the star-crossed lovers of District 12**_..."

"_NO_!" Katniss begged. "_Please_, _**don't! Don't do this!"**_

No amount of begging was going to stop the gunman from what he had set out to do. He had one thing and one thing only on his sick mind and that was to ensure the _death_ of Peeta Mellark. Katniss couldn't stand there any longer and let this happen so she grabbed Peeta's shoulders as firmly as she could and tried moving him to the side. She _couldn't_ let this happen. But it came as no surprise to her when he budged not even a little. He was too strong for her and even if he wasn't...there was no way he was leaving her vulnerable and out in the open to get shot. All that mattered to him was keeping the girl he loved more than anything in the world..._alive._

Katniss struggled against him and in a final desperate attempt, she screamed, "_Peeta...__**DON'T!**_" Peeta didn't argue or say a word in return. He simply kept standing where he was and closed his eyes while letting a smiling image of Katniss Everdeen consume his mind. Seeing her beautiful smile in his mind...he was now at peace.

Time slowed down. It was like the hands on the clock had stopped moving and in the next few seconds that followed..._tragedy_ had been born. But prior to that, what she saw were images of she and Peeta that detailed all the time they'd spent together: their first day in art class where they sketched portraits of one another, creating paintings of a mockingjay pin and three cupcakes, having lunch in the cafeteria, sitting down by the lake while confessing their love for each other and then sharing their first kiss, baking a chocolate cake while studying for an algebra test, playing Truth or Dare at Glimmer's party and being introduced to his friend Delly Cartwright. It all flashed by in less than a second.

The only thing Katniss remembered after this was still sobbing for Peeta to move but it was all useless because it was at that moment that the gunman pulled the trigger...and the bullet went _screaming_ into Peeta's _chest._ The impact of the force sent him sprawling onto his back and that's when it hit Katniss that the thing she'd feared more than anything was about to happen – she was about to lose the boy with the bread. Her world was about to crumble, fall apart and there wasn't a thing out there that was going to put it back together.

The whole event had unfolded in all but a few minutes. In only a few minutes the gunman had succeeded in shooting his target and the absolute worst thing about the whole situation...was that the police _hadn't _arrived in time. If they'd arrived just a few minutes earlier or even a minute...the shooting of Peeta Mellark might possibly have been prevented. It was something that would stay locked in Katniss's mind forever – the haunting fact that help had come too late.

"_**PEETA!**_"

She was by his side in a heartbeat. She put both her hands on his cheeks and saw that his eyes – which were fluttering – were hardly open, as if the pain of the bullet were trying to take him out of reality and into the world of the dead. She didn't even have to look to know that the gunman – the guy that had shot her Peeta in cold blood – was gone. His work at Madderson High was done.

For only a split second her mind went back to the previous night. She'd been dreaming and in that dream she and Peeta were at a carnival. She remembered a single word being whispered into her ear and it was then that she heard it again and knew who it belonged to. The word she'd heard had been _**Titus**_ and it belonged to the killer gunman who had shot her Peeta. It had given her a wonderful, soothing feeling while at the carnival and yet now...the boy she loved was on the floor with a bullet wound in his chest. It wasn't a word of protection...it was a word of _horror_, _tragedy _and _anguish._

Katniss knew the police and an ambulance would be here any second to rush Peeta to the hospital, but she wasn't leaving Peeta's side, not for a second.

"Peeta?" she cried, keeping his face in her hands. She glanced down to his chest and saw the blood was spreading quickly. Soon his entire shirt would be soaked with his blood and soon it would be spreading onto the floor. It was suddenly more important and crucial than ever that help get there _**now.**_ Help might not have gotten there in time to prevent the shooting but there still the slight chance that Peeta's life could be saved. But they had to hurry.

"Come on, Peeta!" she sobbed, and she never stopped saying his name. She had to let him know that she was there and that she wasn't going anywhere. When at last his lashes fluttered open, his eyes met hers and seeing her kneeling beside him, he opened his mouth and croaked weakly, "_Katniss..._"

"Peeta!" she cried, and had to keep from making constant choking sounds. "I'm right here, Peeta. I'm _right_ here..."

He took a deep breath and winced in pain and whispered, "It...it _**hurts**_."

Katniss put one of her hands gently on his head and ran her fingers through his blond strands of hair as she told him, "Help's coming Peeta. They're gonna be here any second. They're gonna fix you up and—"

He took her hand and held it in his. He couldn't grip her hand very tightly but that didn't stop him from putting his hand into hers.

"Katniss, if I...if I don't make—"

"Don't _say_ that!" she cried. The thought of losing Peeta was too horrifying to even consider. She _couldn't _lose him; she _needed_ him in her life. "You're not gonna die, Peeta. They're gonna get you better!"

"But...but if I _don't_ make it," he said, still breathing heavily. "Please..._**stay with me**_?"

Tears fell down her face as she stared into the bright, blue eyes that had once been filled with so much joy and life; they were now hazy and unfocused. He was staring right back into hers, but she could tell that he was struggling to keep them open, as if all they wanted was to close on him...and stay closed _forever. _

There was only one answer she could give him. She remembered just yesterday when the two had been down by the lake and she'd said the identical thing to him. She'd asked him, "Stay with me?" and he'd promised her, "Always." But now...it seemed like the boy with the bread was dangerously close to slipping out of her life.

She whispered to him, "_**Always...**_"

He gave her the tiniest of a smile with the bit of strength that was left in him and asked her faintly, "Can you..._**sing**_?"

The look of sadness in Peeta's eyes was tearing her apart. It was like her heart had been ripped in two but if he wanted her to sing...then she _had_ to sing. She wasn't sure she'd be able to make it through a full song or not but until help arrived...by his side was where she would stay.

She sang softly and quietly and as she sang, it sounded to Peeta like a peaceful lullaby; it made him want to drift into a sleep and hear the words over and over...

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

_Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes_

_And when again they open, the sun will rise_

Peeta's shirt was now covered in blood. He was fighting to keep his eyes open; all he wanted was to gaze at Katniss forever and listen to her sing. But the burning pain in his chest was like nothing he'd ever felt and all he wanted was for it to stop. He tried his hardest to not think of it and to only focus as best as he could to the words of the Valley Song.

_Here it's safe, here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you_

As she was singing "Here is the place where I love you", she thought she heard Peeta's voice murmuring, "_**I love you**_" but was uncertain if he'd actually spoken or not. She was about to continue on to the next verse...when she saw Peeta's eyes _closing_. She flew into an instant panic and started shouting his name while pressing her fingers onto his neck. Feeling no sign of a pulse, she put a hand firmly on his chest to find his heartbeat...and felt nothing. She wasn't sure if it was _truly_ gone, or if she was so distressed that she was _imagining_ it. Everything right then felt so much like a dream and nothing like reality. All she knew was that she didn't want to lose Peeta Mellark.

She then heard the hurrying footsteps of the police and medical crew, but didn't turn to look at them as she screamed, "I...I can't feel a _pulse!_ His heart...I...I can't tell if it's _beating_!" Katniss hardly had time to observe what they were doing to him before she saw Peeta being placed onto a stretcher and carried down the hall towards the front of the school.

In a matter of seconds, she'd rushed through the halls and blasted out the entrance doors where she saw a sight that made her freeze. Peeta was lying flat on his back as two men held either side of the stretcher and quickly but carefully – lifted him up into the back of an ambulance. Katniss knew she couldn't fully blame these people. They _had_ come, but it would never leave her that they hadn't come _soon _enough. That was something she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to _forgive_, let alone _**forget.**_

All she could think was, "_You came too late and because of that...Peeta was shot. If you'd come just a minute earlier...that gunman could have been stopped. But he wasn't..._"

She knew the police had captured the gunman as soon as they'd arrived, so there was no chance of him fleeing...but what did that matter when the boy she loved was lying in the back of an ambulance with a bullet in his chest?

She was so focused on Peeta's unmoving body in the back of the ambulance that she hadn't even realized that a crowd of people was now gathered around and behind her. She didn't have to turn to know who they were – it was the staff and students of Madderson High. They were all here and the shock and sadness on each of their faces reflected the shock and sadness on Katniss's. Also there were all of her and Peeta's friends: Madge, Johanna, Glimmer, Clove, Delly, Cato and Marvel. The only one not present...was Gale.

Most of the school knew that she and Peeta had been together for a while know and no one knew quite what to say. Madge and Delly were at a loss for words as they held Katniss in a tight hug while holding back their own tears. She was near out of control right now and the tears never stopped coming. Seeing Peeta raised into the back of the ambulance was what pushed her over the edge because it was then that she realized that she would most likely..._never_ see him _again._

But there was something else that pushed her even further over the edge. Everyone assembled touched their three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and held them out toward the ambulance and the boy that was inside – Peeta Mellark. Both the students and teachers held their fingers out towards him and held them there till the vehicle had driven off.

Before it left, however, there was one person who hadn't yet realized who the person was inside the back of the ambulance. One of the students pushed his way through the crowd and when he caught side of the vehicle and the body inside...tears were actually forming in his eyes. He stood there and without even realizing it, he yelled out in shock and noticeable anger, "That's my _**brother!**_"

When Katniss heard the voice, she turned and when she saw who it was, it made the situation seem all the more horrid. Here was a guy who for the past seventeen years, had teased and tormented his brother and was known to most as a slug but now – there was a look of grief in his eyes. No one could question the sadness showing on his face – on the face of Ryder Mellark.

It wasn't until the ambulance was speeding off that Ryder called out in a desperate scream of, "_**PEETA!**_" All he could think as he stared off into the distance was that he had lost his brother. The brother who'd _never _given him a hard time about anything, _never_ called him a name and _never_ did anything to hurt or upset him – was now gone. The truth dawned on him that he'd been a truly nasty brother to Peeta over the years and now he might never get the chance...to _apologize. _All he wanted right then was to go to his brother and tell him he was sorry for acting like such a brat.

But he couldn't...because Peeta Mellark was now on his way to the hospital.


	17. Wish You Were Here

Chapter 17: Wish You Were Here

She was standing behind him and no amount of resisting or struggling was going to change anything. His decision was already made and as long as he went through with what he knew _had_ to be done, then despite what happened from that point in...he would have succeeded in protecting and saving the girl he loved. Not only that, but an entire school would be spared from getting blown to ashes from the countless bombs in the gunman's jacket. No matter what happened when the bullet came into contact with his body – even if he died – he could die with comfort and relief at knowing he'd saved Katniss Everdeen's life and _that_ would let him slip out of the world...in _peace._

In a final desperate cry, she was screaming, "Peeta..._**DON'T!**_" But it came as no surprise to her when he remained silent and said nothing to her in reply. It occurred to her that if he did respond or utter even a word than he just might change his mind about what he'd settled on doing. His mind had been made and it was then – as if his whole body was in agreement – he became still, calm...and unafraid. The single, overriding thought of, "_Katniss will be safe_," had relaxed his entire being and no longer were his arms or legs quivering. His eyes could now see things clearly; the trembling in his lips had stopped, his mind was now in a state of calmness, and the vast fear he'd felt while staring at the gun the moment it was taken out of the killer's pocket...had been _**overcome.**_

All Katniss remembered was the trigger being pulled, and the sound of a sharp _pang_ as the bullet went screaming towards Peeta...and into his open chest. The only sound that came out of his mouth was a gasp of _shock_, _surprise_...and _pain_. Like a ragdoll, he went staggering to the ground and almost instantly, the blood started oozing and spreading onto his shirt as he let out deep, shaky intakes of breath.

With the firing of that bullet, she had lost her boy with the bread. He now lay crumpled on the floor while fighting desperately to cope with the excruciating pain that tore through his wounded body...but the pain proved too great for him to handle. No person could ever deal with such unexplainable pain. How could one describe a pain where no word could truly describe the torture and torment it brought to one's body?

As she sat kneeling beside him, he had asked her for only one thing...and that was to sing to him. So many times he'd asked her to sing the Valley Song but never had she sung it with such a vast, piercing lump in her throat. She hadn't gotten even halfway through the song before his eyes were closing and any signs of life in him were..._gone._ She was an emotional wreck and knew she _could_ have been imagining it what with the state she was in but her Peeta Mellark looked so still, inactive and lifeless that she was starting to fear what was really happening – and that was that he was _dying._

She flew into instant panic. She put her hands by his neck and feeling no pulse, went straight to his heart but just like his neck...there was nothing. Not wanting to accept any of it, she took his face into her hands and began shouting his name over and over...but he was as still as ever.

"_**PEETA!**_" she screamed his name to the point where she thought her voice would give out on her. But she didn't stop screaming...she couldn't. "_Wake up_..._**PEETA!**_"

"Katniss?"

"_Please_..._**WAKE UP!**_"

"Katniss!" Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong hands giving her a forceful shake and then the blurred image of a man came into sight. She thought she recognized the sea green eyes and bronze-colored hair. She focused and then realized who it was and where she'd been this entire time. She was in art class and the man shaking her was Mr. Odair. Without even knowing it she'd fallen into another hallucination, just like she'd done with her father the previous day. "Come, on Katniss. Snap out of it...that's it. You're okay."

She shook her head and argued, "It's _**not**_ okay! He's supposed to be _here_ painting with me but he's _not_! He's in the hospital and for all I know he could be _dying _this very second! It's not okay!"

Mr. Odair only nodded and told her softly, "I know...it's _not_ fair, and you're absolutely right."

There was a brief pause before he added, "Katniss, I know this is hard for you right now, but if you don't want to finish the mask, then I'm completely fine with you dropping it altogether. You could—"

"No!" she said flatly, but the emotion in her voice was impossible to miss. "It's our mask! I'm not just giving up on it. I want to finish it...for _both _of us. We did everything together; every assignment or project we ever did we worked on them together. That's how it's _always_ been."

"I know," he said softly. "That's why I wanted to let you know that if you find it too hard to be _here_, then you're more than welcome to find somewhere else to work on the mask. Maybe the library, another classroom, in the halls or anywhere you'd like. I just don't want you to feel like you _have_ to work on it here, not if it makes you this distraught."

"I-I know, but..." she started, and then took a shaky breath and continued, "I want to try and work on it here. I...I guess I can still feel him next to me and I...just don't want to leave that. I like thinking that in a way...he's still here with me."

Katniss stared into his eyes and what she saw there was nothing but genuine sympathy. It was obvious he knew how hard she was taking what had happened to Peeta, and it must have been difficult for him to have to sit by and watch one of his students feel so anguished and broken. He knew just how close her and Peeta had been; there hadn't been one sketch or painting that they hadn't helped the other with. Since the first day of school they'd been partners...but Katniss was now on her alone. The boy she'd done so many sketches and paintings with, the boy who'd helped and made her find an appreciation for art...was all but an empty seat now in what had been her favourite class just yesterday morning. She'd been so excited to head to art after her free but little did she know the tragic and inevitable fate the entire school – but she and Peeta more importantly – would find themselves faced with.

As she turned her attention to the seat next to her – the seat that Peeta Mellark had once sat in – she couldn't stop her mind from drifting off once more...

It was the first day of school and her first class was art. She was standing in the open doorway staring into the crowded room with only one question on her mind, and that was, "_Where do I sit?_" Right away she saw that most seats were already taken and the teacher was busy gathering papers, carrying supplies and setting things up. She tried picking out an available seat but came to the conclusion that all had been taken...and that's when she saw it – an empty seat.

As she made her way towards it, she couldn't help notice the blond-haired boy sitting next to it and the brightness in his blue eyes. He gave her a quick glance, but then just as quickly he dropped his head and tried pretending that he was busy fidgeting with his fingers when really, all he was thinking about was the girl that had just sat down next to him. Her hair was in its usual braid, and she was dressed in a green t-shirt, jeans and a pair of running shoes. She was now sitting next to him.

After the teacher had explained his plans for the class – which was for each student to find a partner and create a portrait of them – Peeta didn't hesitate to turn and speak to her. He'd been waiting too long and for too many years to sit by and be silent. Not anymore.

"Want to be partners?" he said with a friendly smile.

Katniss gave a small smile in return and answered, "Okay."

A week later, she was back in art class and this time, each student had been required to bring an object from home that they would then paint. The important thing that Mr. Odair emphasized was that the object _had_ to hold some kind of meaning and importance. Katniss had brought the mockingjay pin that her father had given her when she was a child, but when she saw what Peeta had brought, it didn't surprise her even the slightest.

What he had brought was a container that held three uniquely decorated cupcakes, each being a different size and each with its own special color scheme. The large one was coated with chocolate frosting and topped off with round sprinkles that gave it the look of a cookie with white chocolate chips. The small one was done up to look like a strawberry pie and the medium-sized one (which stood out the most) was decorated to resemble the face of a cat.

He spread them out in front of him and said, "My favourite's the cat. That was the most fun one to make. Took longer than the others, but it came out alright."

Katniss chuckled at this, and was about to comment on how much the treat looked like her cat Buttercup when the oddest thing started to happen. She felt dizzy in the head and when she glanced down to her hands she could hardly make out what they were. All she saw was a fading light and looking around the room it was the same thing – a bright, powerful light that outshone everything around her. The one thing she could still make out as clear as anything was Peeta. But what she saw...made her want to scream, shut her eyes and never again have to open them.

Standing in front of Peeta was the gunman named Titus and like she'd noticed in him yesterday, his eyes belonged to those of a crazed madman. But _why _was he here? He didn't belong here and that's when it struck here that Titus would _never_ truly be gone, and would _never_ leave her scarred mind. He would forever be haunting her and would forever ensure that Peeta Mellark got shot in the chest. He would forever make sure that Peeta Mellark was killed. That had been his mission and he would continue to fulfill that mission day after day in Katniss's _mind._

He was still dressed all in black with the long coat and still in his hand was the gun which was pointed directly at Peeta. She ran over and stood in front of Peeta in hopes of saving him from the bullet that was about to get blasted into his chest. But Titus only shook his head as if she amused him and gave her a grin that could only be described as evil. He then winked, pulled the trigger and just when Katniss was bracing herself for the impact of the screaming bullet to get fired into her chest...the impossible happened. As if she were no more than invisible, the bullet went directly through her and struck Peeta squarely in the chest.

Katniss gave a pained little gasp as she watched him get thrown to the floor with a sickening thud. She fell to the ground next to him, took his face in her trembling hands and went in full panic when she felt not a breath of air escaping from his mouth. Titus gave an almost inaudible chuckle before turning and fleeing.

She shook him and screamed frantically, "_**PEETA!**_ _Come on_ Peeta..._**BREATHE!**_"

"Katniss! Come on, Katniss!" Once more she felt the hands of Mr. Odair shaking her firmly back to reality and that's when she knew right there and then...that she couldn't stay there. Being in that room was too much to handle because no matter how hard she tried...all she saw was that _**empty seat**_ next to her and the loneliness and emptiness that consumed her only brought her endless suffering. She knew she couldn't stay in there, not when it had been the place where she had first met Peeta. It was the place where their friendship had been both _born_, and it was also the place where their friendship had _grown._

"I...I tried to save him," she explained and tears were forming in her eyes. One look into her eyes and Mr. Odair knew she had to be someplace else. It was clear that being there only brought torment and grief for her.

So he took her by the arms and lifting her carefully up and out of her chair, he said gently, "Come on, Katniss. Let's find you a spot to work at." She didn't resist or try and break out of his arms. She simply let him lead her towards the door and out of the class. Before she left, she gave one last glance back into the room and saw that there wasn't one student not watching her with the greatest of empathy. No one could imagine what she was going through; all they could do was let her know that both she and Peeta were in their thoughts.

The place Mr. Odair took her to was the cafeteria. Luckily, it wasn't very busy which meant at least she could work in a place that was quiet with few distractions. There were too many things back in the art room that would get her off track and all she'd end up doing to herself was thinking only of Peeta and the bullet that had put a hole in both his life and hers. It didn't matter what she focused on – the paints, the brushes, the papers, the pencils, the empty chair beside her, the easels – it all made her obsess over what had happened and how because of it, he was no longer there with her.

She took a seat at a table near the back and set her mask on the table and shifted her gaze to the paints and brushes that Mr. Odair was setting down for her.

"Now if you need _anything _at all, Katniss," he told her kindly. "You know where to find me. If you need _anyone_ to talk to...just come and find me, okay?"All she did was nod quietly while keeping her eyes on the paints. Mr. Odair watched her for a moment, and then turned and made his way back to his class.

Katniss stared at the paints in a trance, thinking only of how Peeta would have known just what colors to use for a particular painting and how best to mix the colors. He was the true definition of an artist and he'd always been there to give her advice and to help her with whatever it was she was working on. But not anymore. Today she would have to get the mask done without him there to praise and comment on her progress. It would be the first and only time she had ever worked on something without Peeta right there beside her telling her how great of a job she was doing.

Though her mind was in a million spots, she _did_ know where to get started. She knew Peeta had said just days ago that he'd planned on painting his side of the mask with cookies, cakes, bread and anything else that could be found in his father's bakery – so that's what she'd do.

Once she'd gotten some paper towel, she reached for the tube of white paint and squeezed some onto it. Her plan was to paint the background of the mask in pure white and then have everything else – all the bakery treats – painted on top. She took the brush in her hand, but with how shaky and unstable her hand was, it took her a minute to properly hold it in her fingers. Then, she carefully brought her brush onto the mask...and began to paint.

Not even a minute had passed before something stopped her. She hadn't been sure of what it was at first but the harder she listened, like a punch to the gut...she knew what it was. Suddenly she was getting pulled back into the art room and forced back into her chair. What she was trying so hard not to consume her mind with...was now _whispering_ to her. It was after she'd focused on the sound and recognized where she'd heard it before and who it belonged to, that she knew whose voice it was – it was _Peeta's._

He might have been in the hospital and miles away from her and not truly calling out to her...but there was no denying or mistaking that his voice was now in her head. It was a whisper and as it spoke to her, it brought her back to that day when she'd learned all of Peeta's past and how he'd been in love with her for eleven years. All the things he had said to her that day were rushing back into her heart.

"_Maybe I could teach Mags how to frost?_"

She took a breath, and then brought her brush back onto the mask and continued to coat it in white.

"_Me and my brothers help out too. We help with the baking but I like frosting the cakes. That's always what I've liked doing_."

"_Don't stop, Katniss_," she told herself, doing all she could to not let the voice keep her from doing what she wanted to do, and that was to paint her and Peeta's mask. But ignoring his voice was too challenging of a task and over and over, it kept on whispering to her. "_Just...keep painting_."

"_I __know __I want to be an artist, that's for sure. I've wanted that since I was five. I just can't picture myself doing anything but painting and drawing for the rest of my life._"

A few minutes later she had Peeta's side of the mask painted entirely in white. She had succeeded in the first part of the project; it was now time to move on to adding the treats. She washed and dried her brush, and then dipped it in a puddle of brown which she'd use to get started on the cookies. The brush had barely touched the mask when Peeta's murmuring voice spoke out faster than ever, and all that he'd said was coming back to her in all but a few seconds...

"_Pretty crowded, huh? Hope we can find a table._"

"_Don't worry about it. Tell you what? If it makes you feel any better, you can buy __me__ lunch sometime? Okay?_"

"_So any idea what you'd like to do after high school? Any plans?_"

"_Who knows? Come next year you might like art better than you thought you would_."

That was it. She had to take a break from painting the mask. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably and trying to hold the brush felt about as hard as lifting weights. The second she decided this and put her brush back on the table...Peeta's voice vanished. She then dropped her head and stared intently at the table while gradually starting to calm down. Only a few seconds later, she heard _another _voice. She wondered if Peeta's voice had returned to carry on speaking, but it didn't take her long to perceive the voice as not Peeta's – but _Gale's._

"Hi, Catnip_."_

She lifted her head and saw the one person she'd rather _not_ have to be faced with right then. After everything she'd been through, she just wasn't in the mood to have to put up with his bitterness. But as she sat there reading and studying his expression, she realized that he was anything _but_ bitter. He looked calm and there was even the tiniest of a smile on his lips.

"Hi," she said tiredly.

He took a seat across from her, stretched his arms out along the table and did nothing but look at her. When he saw how exhausted, drained and troubled she looked, his face softened and he asked with concern, "How you doin'?"

She shrugged and answered, "_Terrible_..."

"I hear ya," said Gale softly. "I know it hasn't been easy, the last little bit. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

She didn't respond. She simply ran her fingers along the various tubes of paint as if his words were nothing but meaningless air. Despite her lack of enthusiasm to try and have a conversation with him, he wasn't going to just sit there and be silent. He'd been patiently waiting for this exact moment to arrive and now that it was here...he was going to _seize_ it.

"Look, I...I know you're going through a lot," he began, keeping his eyes on her. "But I thought maybe it might be good if you got out for a bit, you know? It's probably not doing you much good sitting around constantly thinking of Peeta and all, so I was wondering if you wanted to do something together...go to a _movie _maybe?"

Little did Gale know that mentioning a movie would be like waving a red flag in front of Katniss. Her face grew hard and when he glanced at her hands he saw they were tightening into fists. It was obvious that what he'd said...she _didn't_ like. All he needed was one glimpse into her eyes to see that.

"How can you even _talk_ like that?" she asked furiously. Unlike Gale though, Katniss was able to better control her anger. She remained in her seat and didn't look like she was about to throw a punch or slam the table with her fist. "Here, all you care about is going to a stupid movie and Peeta's in the hospital and—"

"He's gonna be fine, Katniss," said Gale, as if Peeta getting a bullet in the chest were nothing to worry about. By his tone, it definitely seemed like he felt that way. "The doctors will fix him up, he'll get nursed back to health and then—"

"But what if he _**doesn't**_?" Katniss shouted, and by now her eyes were blazing with fury. "What if he's lying in a bed right now _**DYING?**_"

"He was only shot _once_, Katniss," said Gale calmly. "It's not like he was shot several times..."

"He's in _**critical condition!**_" she argued, and she couldn't stop from screaming. She also couldn't stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks at knowing that the boy she loved more than words could say was lying in a bed and potentially...on his way to his _death._ It pained her more than anything at knowing that her boy with the bread had a slim, a _very_ slim chance...of walking out the hospital _alive._ It was then that she understood just how insensitive and thoughtless Gale was acting towards Peeta getting shot.

"You don't even _care_," she said, her voice now in a whisper of numbness. "You never liked Peeta...so why do _you_ care what happened to him? All you ever worried about was _us_ being together. You're not even a little upset about what happened!"

"Katniss, I already told you," Gale said firmly. "He's gonna be fine—"

She sighed and told him, "Just..._leave_, Gale. I don't want to talk anymore."

"Katniss, I'm here to help!" he said, letting a hint of anger creep into his voice. "You don't get it! That guy's gonna be fine, trust me. Just stop worrying about it so much and—"

"I can't just _**STOP**_ worrying about him, Gale!" she yelled, and got to her feet. She stared him down with such an intense stare that all Gale could do was look away and bite his lip in frustration. "What about that don't you _understand_? I _**love**_ him! And now I might _never_ get to see him again!"

The two held eye contact for what felt like a lifetime. Neither blinked, uttered a word or made a move to go at the other out of sheer frustration. They just stood there like lifeless statues while glaring at the other. After a moment, it was Katniss who spoke first.

"Gale, I...I don't want to see you _anymore_," she said and dropped her gaze to the floor. "All you've ever done is tried to convince me to be with you when I've told you so many times that I _**don't **__feel_ that way about you. But you never stopped. And it's just gotten too..._tiring. _I know you'll never be happy with just being friends but I mean this when I say it...I want you _out of my life_, Gale."

Gale didn't argue, scoff or speak at all. He just stood there and glared at her with his cold, unblinking eyes.

"Peeta's made me so _happy_," she told him. "But you...all you've done is made me stressed and made me feel like I _had_ to be with you, when that's never what I wanted. But you never listened. And I can't deal with this anymore. Just..._please_ stay away from me, Gale."

Gale gave a nod and Katniss could instantly tell how crushed and furious he was. He gave one last look at her and fighting to keep from shouting, he said flatly, "_Fine_...if _that's_ what you want, then _**fine**_..." He turned and started off but not before calling over his shoulder, "_Bye,_ Catnip."

She didn't respond or call back to him. She just sat back down at the table, already feeling relieved at Gale no longer being there. At one time, he _had_ filled her life with fun and happiness but now all he provided her with was anger and bitterness. She kept her eyes directly on the table as he stormed off and out the cafeteria doors.

As he stomped through the halls, there was all but one single thing on his raging mind and that was, "_Fuckin' __**Peeta Mellark**_! I hope you're fuckin' _**dying**_ right now..."


	18. Please Come Back to Me

Chapter 18: Please Come Back to Me

Now that Gale had left and Katniss was alone once more, she returned her attention to her and Peeta's mask. Now that his side of it had been painted white, she was now going to get started on covering it with as much as she could – cookies, cakes, brownies, breads and everything else. She made sure to go slowly and not rush, as she wanted to let the relaxation of decorating the mask keep her mind at ease, rather than have it in a frightened panic at what was happening to Peeta at that very second.

She first painted a cookie and was pleased with how it turned out; the colors of brown and black really stood out against the pallid white. Wasting no time, she then moved on and began painting a cupcake and channelled all her focus on getting in every detail and color of the small treat. She remembered how special and unique Peeta's three cupcakes had been that day in art class, and she wanted nothing more than to paint something that would put a smile on his face. Following this, she added a chocolate brownie and dotted it with green to represent the mint chips he had so often put in them. She then painted a loaf of bread, a double-layer cake with pink frosting and sprinkles and the last thing she made sure to include...was an orange cheese bun.

It wasn't until she was close to being done with the cheese bun that she was unexpectedly struck with a feeling of..._immense_ _**sadness.**_ It was just yesterday that the two had been sitting down by the lake and he had presented her with two delicious cheese buns, both of which she had devoured eagerly. She had determined right then and there that though she'd only eaten two of them, she was officially addicted to the scrumptious wonder known as cheese buns.

She had to stop thinking about him. The longer she went on thinking about him, the more she started to fear that he could be dying at that very minute and then the hole that had punctured her once pleasant life...would stay there _forever_. So she shook herself together and picked up her brush and carefully dabbed it into a puddle of bright green. She then lifted the brush and brought it to the side of the mask that hadn't yet been painted – _her_ side of the mask.

Her plan for decorating her side of the mask was to fill it with various mockingjays and paint them all in different colors. The birds ended up small and with delicate features but when she lit them up with dazzling colors of golden yellows, royal blues, lime greens, cherry reds and lavender purples, they looked simply beautiful. In total, it had taken her three hours to complete the mask. Since she'd had both free and lunch after art, she'd had an entire three hours to get the mask done before having to head to her last class of the day, which was math. Normally, she'd probably be capable of getting such a project done in _one_ hour, but what with how worried and distressed she was, she felt it was better to paint at a slow and leisurely pace.

She quickly dropped off the mask to Mr. Odair before leaving for math. He took the mask and after inspecting it thoroughly, he gave her a small smile and said kindly, "Peeta would _**love**_ this, Katniss." She gave a sad smile in return and was about to walk off, when she immediately changed her mind and looked back at him.

"Can...can I _have_ that?" she asked quietly. "I want to..._keep_ it, in case Peeta recovers and I can show it to him—"

"Of course," he said in understanding, and handed her the mask. "It's yours to keep. And I'm happy to tell you that this mask is wonderfully done and I'm pleased to present you with an _**A+**_."

An _A+._ She had been enrolled in art class for a full two months and never had she gotten an A+. She'd been rewarded with mostly B's and the occasional A's...but this was the first A+ she had _ever_ received. She would have felt a great sense of achievement...if only Peeta were there with her. It should have been the _two_ of them who had painted this mask, not Katniss alone. She was happy to have completed it for them – for the both of them – but it felt uncomfortably strange knowing that she had earned a perfect grade when Peeta _should have_ been there to witness it. But he wasn't. Instead, he was lying far off in a hospital room where surgeons were busy at work doing checks and examinations on his operated chest and the bullet that was buried inside. But in spite of their efforts...as if a clock were hanging over Peeta's life, death could very well take what little bit of life he had left in him. Only time would tell...

When she arrived home, all Katniss wanted was to rush up to her room, get under the covers...and fall into a deep sleep. She didn't want to be awake any longer and have to cope with the constant pain her mind was inflicting upon her. But then again, the moment she closed her eyes and dozed off she'd just enter an even worse place than reality itself and that was the world of nightmares – a hell where anything _and _everything was possible. Worse, there was no escape from the depths of a nightmare.

Hardly a word was spoken at supper. The most that was said was, "Could you pass the juice?" but aside from that, it was silent and hushed. As she ate, Katniss found the food on her plate completely lacking in taste and the blandness that was left in her mouth made her want to spit it right out. Since yesterday, nothing she'd eaten seemed to have had any taste, as if she'd been eating nothing but cardboard or paper.

About halfway through dinner, Prim gave Katniss a worried look as if to ask, "Have you heard anything about Peeta yet?" All Katniss would do was give a shake of her head and carry on eating her tasteless food. She knew the surgery was most likely already finished and that it would have lasted a few hours the previous day, but the fact that she still hadn't heard anything...made her _sick_ to her stomach. If the doctors and the health team were met with good news, then surely they would have called, but she hadn't yet gotten a call and all it was doing was crushing the bit of hope she had that her boy with the bread would _survive _and _get through this_.

When she looked down at the remaining food on her plate, it suddenly seemed less appetizing than ever and what she wanted now more than anything right then was to crawl into bed and stay there till morning. She excused herself, got up out of her chair and rushed up to her room. Neither her mother nor Prim tried to stop her because they knew what she wanted and that was to be _alone._

The first thing she did when she got to her room was to close the door and ensure that it was locked. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate her mother or Prim wanting to keep her company or try and keep her spirits up because she absolutely did...but there was something that _had_ to be done and all she wanted while doing it was time to herself.

She pulled out the drawer to her bedside table and took out a small photo album that was green in color. It was an album like the one Delly had made of Peeta and just as she and him had agreed only two days ago – the day prior to the shooting – she was going to put together an album of all the times they'd so far spent together. She'd already gotten the pictures developed from her camera and they were all now sitting on her bed, ready to take their place in the empty album.

Taking a seat on her bed, she gathered up all the photos and put them in the order in which each of the events had occurred. Their first day in art class would be the opening photo, followed by: the paintings they'd done of the mockingjay pin and three cupcakes, eating lunch in the cafeteria, sitting down by the lake and admitting their love for each other, eating chocolate cake while studying for an algebra test, playing Truth or Dare at Glimmer's party, and spending another afternoon down by the lake while she sang The Hanging Tree song to him. Seven of these photos held seven memories of things she and Peeta had done together. Each was incredibly important to her and would be of even greater importance if worst came to worst and Peeta didn't make it, because these seven photos would be all she'd have to remember the time she'd spent with the boy with the bread.

It was upon realizing this that Peeta's voice was once more entering her head and whispering all the things he'd said to her during their times together. She could hear him whispering to her as she flipped through the pages of the album and the photos that were now inside.

"_Want to be partners?_" She could see the smile he'd given to her on their first day of art class when he'd asked her if she'd wanted to work with him. She had given him a little smile of her own and said to him, "Okay."

"_That's a mockingjay, isn't it?_" He'd been admiring her tiny pin that was golden in color. She had nodded and went on to explain how it had been given to her by her father when she was young, and how she'd been holding onto it ever since.

"_We can have these after. We can each have two_." He'd bought them a small bag of cookies which the two had then eaten after their pizza. She'd told him his cupcakes were better and he'd then made a joke about maybe teaching Mags how to frost.

"_Girlfriend?_" He had softly whispered this to her and she could still remember the glowing red on her cheeks as she'd answered, "Girlfriend." She had then whispered to him, "Boyfriend?" and a smile had lit up his entire face as he'd whispered right back to her, "Boyfriend." That had been the official moment the two had become a couple and from then on would spend all their time together.

"_Sure it is._ _How many cakes have you seen around here that have 'Peeta and Katniss's Cake' written on them?_" After she'd laughed and commented on how unoriginal of a title it was, Peeta had made a clever and amusing comeback that she wouldn't come across many cakes with a title of 'Peeta and Katniss's Cake.'

"_I bet you anything they're going to try and make ours the worst, since we're together and all. Better get ready_..." He had given her a friendly warning that their friends would most likely be the hardest on them during Truth or Dare since they were together and all and she'd him given a bold answer of, "You bet."

"_You have no idea. The effect you can have_." He had said this to her immediately after she'd finished her singing and knowing just how much he loved hearing her sing, she'd told him she'd have to do more singing whenever they came there.

When his voice had vanished and her mind was once more in silence, she then thought back to the day before he'd been shot. It had been the day where she'd been struck with an indescribable feeling of fear and dread at losing Peeta and what she would do without him. She had asked him, "_Stay with me?_" Sensing this, Peeta had taken her gently in his arms while holding her close and had whispered a promise of, "_**Always**_." But neither of them could have ever guessed the tragic fate they'd both find themselves in the following day. It had been a fate with no escape, and Peeta had known since he'd first seen the killer's gun that there was only one way to protect Katniss...and that was taking the bullet of the weapon _himself._

He was _gone_. Peeta Mellark – the boy with the bread and the boy she loved more than she'd ever know – was _gone_. Instead of being there with her he was lying on a bed in a hospital room while doctors, nurses and surgeons went about several methods and procedures to determine the physical state he was in. She _needed_ him back. Peeta having been snatched out of her life had punctured so deep and awful of a hole in her life that simple things like eating, talking and keeping her eyes from shutting were now suddenly difficult. Ever since he'd been put in the ambulance and driven off, he'd been on her mind every second and with every passing second her thoughts grew more anxious and frightened. Was he alive? If so, how was he doing? Would he recover? Was he on death's door _right now_? They were all questions that she had no answers to.

The pain of missing him was too much too handle and she wasn't sure how much more of it she could take. So she did the one thing she couldn't stop herself from doing...and that was to _**cry.**_ She took the album filled with the photos of her and with a shaky hand, she hurled it across the room. She didn't want to look at the pictures anymore because they only brought never-ending _despair_. She hugged her knees with her arms and tucked her head between them while _**sobbing**_ at the thought that at any second she could receive a call that confirmed her worst fears – the _death_ of Peeta Mellark.

Out of the blue she heard a loud noise coming from her closet. When she glanced over to see what it was, she saw something that she actually _was_ genuinely happy to see – and that was Buttercup. The cat had been sleeping for hours on the shelf in her closet and hearing the heartbreaking sound of Katniss's howling he'd jumped down from his resting place. He trotted out and jumped up onto her bed and walked right into her lap where he got himself comfortable. He then gave a sad meow while resting his head on her lap and all she could do was stroke his head as the tears kept coming.

"I want him back _**so bad**_..." she whimpered, never taking her hand off the cat's head. "I just...I just can't stand the thought of _losing him_. _Not him_..._**not Peeta**_."

Buttercup wasn't leaving her side. He would stay with her as long as she needed. The two stayed together for an hour or two before the cat finally gave a stretch and walked up onto her pillow. He then gave a yawn and curled up into a ball, but not before giving Katniss a final glance.

"Y-you think I should try and get some sleep?" she asked tiredly, still wiping the tears from her eyes. As if answer, the cat gave a long meow and then put its head down. She gave this a quick thought before getting under the covers and burying herself under them. She wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring and if she'd get faced with good news or bad but until that arrived...she had to try and get some rest.

Seconds before nodding off, she whispered sadly, "_Please come back to me..._"

She'd just fallen to sleep when once more she was sucked into the horrors of the nightmare world, and what she was about to experience was about the most horrid thing she could _**ever **_fear to...

"_W-where_ is this?" she thought, glancing around. Never had she seen this place before and didn't recall seeing it even in a dream. It looked to her like she was on a hilltop and behind her were nothing but trees that reached to the sky and stretched on forever. All around her was sheer darkness and when she searched the sky for any living stars, she came up empty. There wasn't a speck of light or color to be seen anywhere.

She started walking and when she came to an edge that looked down on a valley thousands of feet below...she gasped and took a step back. One misstep and she would have gone tumbling to the bottom. It was nerve-wracking to think what it would be like to go sailing over the edge...to fall and keep falling and feel like you'd never in your life reach the bottom. The thought terrified her.

But there was something that soon terrified her even more...and that was the bloodcurdling scream of the boy with the bread. She rushed back up to the edge and when she looked down it was like all the life had left her body because barely hanging onto the branch only a few feet beneath her...was _Peeta_. All that kept him from plummeting to his death was a pitiful branch and by the looks of it...wasn't going to hold for much longer. The fear in his eyes was horrifying and when he opened his mouth, it was like she could feel just how frightened he was.

"_**Katniss!**_" he screamed, his voice echoing in the shadows. "_**Help me...!"**_

"_P-Peeta_?" she shouted, and her throat had suddenly become dry. "How did you—"

"_Please!_" he begged, clutching desperately onto the branch. "_**Help me!**_"

She didn't have time to answer, let alone try and reach down to pull him up because stalking towards her was a creature she hadn't yet seen before...but _Peeta_ had. As he'd heard time and again, the beast was laughing. When her eyes fell on it, she couldn't make out exactly what it was; all she knew was that it was black and had glowing, unblinking eyes. It moved closer to her while keeping its head held high and when it was close enough that she could at last make out what it was...it was the single most frightening thing she had ever looked upon.

It was a hawk. But unlike a common, ordinary bird, this was easily the size of a person and as it stood tall on its feet, it towered over her like a massive giant. Its eyes were the darkest shade of grey she'd ever seen and staring into them was like staring death in the face...all she wanted was for it to leave and never return. As Katniss listened to the laughter of the hawk, it occurred to her that it wasn't the screeching voice of a hawk at all – it was a _person's_ voice. More specifically, it was a _**guy's**_ voice. She knew she'd heard it somewhere before but she wasn't able to put her tongue on _where_ she'd heard it.

She knew what she had to do. She _had_ to get Peeta up so the two could find a place out of this horror. She couldn't leave him to plunge to his death or be left to this monster hawk. But as she reached her hand down to try and grab a hold of his, she realized that he couldn't reach far enough.

But she had to keep trying, and as she leaned down even farther...she felt a tearing sensation in both of her shoulders. She didn't have to look to see what had happened. The hawk had driven its claws into her and was stopping whatever chance she had of saving Peeta.

It held her firmly while hissing with a grin, "He doesn't _belong_ to _you_. He belongs...to _**him!**_"

What she then saw down below was even more frightening than the hawk itself. Though he was thousands of feet beneath them, she could see him as if he were standing directly in front of her. It was the gunman Titus and as always, he was holding the gun in his hand while pointing it up and aiming it at Peeta.

It all happened so fast that Katniss hadn't remembered quite what happened. Whether the hawk had broken the branch, or Peeta had lost his grip on it, it didn't matter because the result was the same. Peeta went plummeting to his death. It was a fall that lasted only a few seconds and as her eyes stayed locked on his, she watched in terror as the gunman pulled the trigger. Peeta was just seconds from reaching the ground and he was still screaming out, "_**KATNISS!**_" when the bullet went screaming into his chest and the scream that escaped his lips was downright haunting.

"_**PEETA!**_"

His body lay crumpled on the ground with Titus standing over him with a victorious grin. He then turned and stalked off, still holding the gun securely in his hand. Katniss shook her head and called Peeta's name to the point where she had lost her voice. But even as she was leaving the nightmare and re-entering reality, she was still able to scream his name one last time when...

"_**Katniss!**_"

"_NO_!" She awoke breathing heavily and panting hard, but when she saw her sister sitting on the bed next to her, she gave a sigh of relief. The nightmare was over and she was now faced with the pleasant sight of her sister. What made it all the more pleasant was the huge smile of excitement that lit up her face. Prim was a girl that smiled mostly all the time but when she gave a smile like the one she was giving Katniss right then...it could only mean one thing.

"There's someone on the phone, Katniss!" Prim exclaimed, holding it out to her. "It's about _**Peeta!**_"

"_**W-what!?**_"

Quicker than she'd ever moved in her life, she took the phone from her and shakily held it up to her ear.

"H-hello?"

"Hello, Katniss?" came a man's deep voice.

"Y-yeah, it's me..."

"My name's Dr. Aurelius. I work at the Bernick Hospital. I'm the man who's been caring and watching over Peeta Mellark."

There it was. The call she'd been dreading, _**waiting **_and _**obsessing**_ over for the past few hours...and it was _now here._ It took every bit of her to say these next words carefully so as not to break down crying at what the answer might be.

"_H-how is he_ doctor?"

Though she couldn't see Dr. Aurelius, she would be thrilled to know that a smile was crossing his lips as he answered, "I'm _truly pleased_ to tell you that Peeta is doing _**just fine.**_ After hours of surgery and several procedures, he is now on his way to a healthy and speedy recovery. It seemed at first that his chance for surviving was hopelessly slim but somehow...he came through. I don't know how else to tell you this Miss Everdeen...but what we've just witnessed here with this boy is nothing short of a _**miracle**_."

"C-can I...can I talk to him?" she cried, and there was no stopping the tears that came trickling down her cheeks. They were tears of absolute relief and sheer happiness. Her boy with the bread was _alive_, _well _and was going to _**recover!**_

The doctor gave a slight chuckle and said, "He's actually asked if you can come in and see him today, but I think I can put him on for a minute. Just give me a second..."

What she then heard was the most_** beautiful**_, _**comforting**_ sound she had ever heard. So many doubts and fears and worried had consumed her over the past day. It was now all but a thing of the past.

Though his voice was weak and no louder than a whisper, she could hear plain as day the obvious joy in it.

"_Hi_, _sweetheart_."


	19. Feelings of Relief and Shame

Chapter 19: Feelings of Relief and Shame

The nightmare with the hawk throwing Peeta off the hilltop and watching as he plummeted to his death where Titus awaited him...had been wiped out of her mind. She had awoken screaming Peeta's name but not long after that, after she'd spoken to Dr. Aurelius, the dream was no longer a figment of her imagination. It had turned out to be one of those dreams that you remember for only a second after you've awoken, but then it gets erased out your mind completely. She would likely have told Peeta about the strange dream and the appearance of the hawk...if only she would have remembered it. But the nightmare had come, occurred...and then left her mind as if it had never been there. And perhaps it was better that she forget the nightmare, what with everything she was going through.

So much fear and anxiety had been growing over the past day and whenever her mind went back to revisit the moment when Titus had pulled the trigger and shot Peeta...she wanted to wake up and find it was all just a sick nightmare. What had happened in the halls of Madderson High had been anything _but_ a dream, and was nothing but harsh reality. It was after witnessing her boy with the bread get thrown to his death by a bullet to the chest, and then rushed to the hospital that she no longer looked at the world in the same light. Everything she'd ever thought about how the world worked led her to believe that it wasn't so different from the nightmare's she'd been faced with...and that it was _cruel._

She felt convinced that her new opinion of the world could never be altered or changed because as long as Peeta was missing from her life, leaving only a gaping hole...then the world _was _cruel. How could the world _not_ be cruel when the person she loved most had been so brutally taken from her and the chances of his survival were slim to none?

It was a single phone call that changed absolutely everything. With this call, not only was her hope restored but the hole that had been punctured into her life was now beginning to fill itself. All the joy and pleasure that had once been a part of her life was going to become part of it once again...because Peeta Mellark was _going _to _**survive**_. The bullet that had fired into his chest was not going to end his life and leave all those that cared for him broken and depressed.

What the gunman Titus had set out to achieve that day as he held the gun on Peeta while threatening to kill both Katniss and the entire school if he made a move...had _backfired_ completely. He had set out to end Peeta Mellark's life but what he got for his efforts instead was captivity from the police and a good lifetime behind bars. As soon as they'd heard from Katniss that he had crept into the school with the single goal of killing Peeta and had indeed shot him...there was only one place for a guy like this to belong – and that was in jail. No time soon was the madman ever going to see the light of day again. _Confinement_ was now the home of Titus.

What was particularly interesting was that when the police had asked Titus if he had been working alone or with somebody else, his quick answer was, "Alone." Katniss had mentioned to the police that Titus had said he was on a mission, but no matter how many questions the police bombarded him with...Titus would _**not **_reveal the details of his plot. He was silent and quiet and absolutely refused to speak even a few words. Whether it was because he was too scared to reveal anything or that he just didn't care one way or the other what happened to him from that point on...not a word of truth came out of him. The full story of this gunman and his mission to kill Peeta would _forever_ remain unsolved and the _true villain_ behind the event would be left _hidden,_ _invisible..._and safe from a lifetime in jail.

The second Katniss had dropped the phone, the first person to enter her room was an eager Prim and trotting alongside her was an equally eager Buttercup, who'd just finished an early breakfast. The two jumped up onto Katniss's bed and when she thought about just how nervous and afraid she'd been to pick up the phone and hear about Peeta...there was no stopping the tears. So much fear had consumed her both physically and emotionally but that had all been destroyed the moment she heard Peeta whisper into her ear, "_Hi, sweetheart_."

Prim wrapped her arms around her sister and chirped with excitement, "He's gonna be _okay_! I _knew_ he would! I just knew that he'd be alright."

Katniss held Prim as tight as she could knowing that without the constant support and encouragement she'd provided for her over the past day, she might not ever have believed that Peeta would leave the hospital alive. If it weren't for her little sister always keeping an eye on her; getting her to check over her poems for english; showing her simple, but amusing tricks she'd taught Buttercup, and watching the occasional movie with her, Katniss wasn't sure where she'd even be at this point. Would she have crawled into bed, hid under the covers and insisted to never have to face the world again? Would she have lost any desire and craving to eat again? Would the smallest things in her life that had once made her smile and laugh suddenly cease to do so? She feared all of this might have been so...if not for her _little sister,_ the girl that had always been and would always be there for Katniss.

"I know," said Katniss, and though her voice was shaky, it was only because of how truly relieved she was feeling. She pulled away from her sister, gave an appreciative smile and told her, "Thanks Little Duck for...for _being there_ for me. That means a lot."

Prim hugged her sister again and softly answered, "I'll _always_ be there you, Bigger Duck."

Katniss whispered, "Thanks Prim."

Prim smiled and along with Buttercup, got off the bed and made her way towards the door. She gave a last look back at Katniss and said, "Mom's getting breakfast ready right now. She said as soon as we're done eating...she's gonna take you to the hospital so you can see Peeta."

"What's she making?" Katniss asked curiously.

"Your _favourite_!" Prim replied with one of her adorable grins. "Bacon, eggs, toast and pineapple juice. She wanted to make something really special, since it's going to be such a great day for you." With that, she then walked off with the cat following right behind. As she watched them leave, she was suddenly hit with a realization. After having believed that she'd lost Peeta, she _now_ understood how her mother had felt when she'd lost her husband all those years ago. She'd felt the pain, longing and loneliness of not having Peeta around and that was exactly what her mother had dealt with, yet she was still trying to be strong for her daughters with every day that passed. Katniss decided right then and there that she was going to stop giving her mother such a hard time because she _now _knew just what it was like to lose a loved one. The fact that she was putting together her daughter's favourite meal entirely on her own showed that she was genuinely happy that Peeta was alive, and that she was still doing all she could to prove to Katniss that she _was_ there for her.

Now that she knew Peeta was alive and well, the idea of a freshly made breakfast was starting to sound pleasantly inviting. She heard a slight grumbling in her stomach and knew that it was in agreement as well. After having thought food was nothing but bland and lacking in flavour for the past few hours, she couldn't wait to sit down and let the delicious, mouth-watering smell of bacon, toast and scrambled eggs rise to her nose. Even more, she could hardly wait to re-discover what crispy bacon tasted like, along with crunchy bread smeared in gooey jam, scrambled eggs with salt pepper and cheese and the sweetness of Pineapple juice. It was the perfect way to start off a great day.

The breakfast proved even more appetizing than she'd expected. She gobbled the food up so fast and had the juice gulped down in under a minute that all she wanted was seconds and perhaps thirds. But the hunger for more lasted only a second, because what she wanted more than a second plate was to see the boy with the bread, touch him and talk with him for what she _hoped_ could be a long while. She so badly wanted to see his eyes flutter open so she could gaze into the bright blueness of them; stroke the soft strands of his blond hair that fell over his forehead and above all, hear the gentleness in his voice that had spoken to her so many times and with each time, had pulled just a little bit more on her heartstrings. It hadn't taken long till he'd gotten into her heart so deeply that she knew without a hint of a doubt that she would forever be a _**goner **_to this boy.

It wasn't until she was in the back of her mother's car on her way to the Bernick Hospital that she started to feel the unmistakable fluttering of butterflies. The excitement that was pounding in both her head and her chest was just begging to get out and the closer they got to their destination, the greater the pounding became. The idea that she was on her way to see Peeta was almost too good for words, as if the whole thing – her sitting with Prim in the car, having eaten a great breakfast, Dr. Aurelius having called with the news he had – it was like it all felt too dreamlike and wonderful to be real. But it _was _real and waiting for her at that hospital was _her_ Peeta Mellark who she knew would be _just_ as ecstatic and overjoyed to see her...to see his _**sweetheart.**_

When at last the Bernick Hospital came into view and they were pulling up into the vast, crowded parking lot, Katniss did the one thing she knew she would when she saw the place – and that was to break down _**crying.**_

It had been a long and tiring few hours for Peeta's family as the four of them sat in the waiting room, fearing what was happening to him at that very second. Hardly a word was spoken amongst any of them and each of them was responding quite differently to the situation. Peeta's father was sitting in one of the chairs with his hands in his head while letting out an occasional snivel. His mother had her back against the cold wall while staring only at the ground and from the way she looked, anyone might have mistaken her for a statue. His oldest brother, Jordix, was pacing around a small table with his hands behind his back and throughout the entire wait, he'd circled the table close to fifty times. Finally, Peeta's other brother Ryder, was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his arms crossed and his head down. Though they were all taking it hard, there was no denying the fact that Ryder was by far taking it the hardest.

The moment he'd first learned that his brother had been shot, there'd been a great, painful swelling in his chest and he knew what was causing it – _**shame.**_ The immense shame that'd he'd been hit with while watching his brother get lifted into the back of that ambulance and then driven off to the hospital was like the worst of a wakeup call. It had been like a punch to the head and it was then that he fully realized just how much of a jerk, asshole and unbearable prick he'd been to Peeta for the past seventeen years. _Never _had he actually said something nice to him like, "Hey, bro! How's it goin?" All Ryder would ever say to him was, "Hey loser" or, "How's it goin freak?" Where a normal relationship would have involved them hanging out, talking and laughing, going to movies, playing video games and doing all the things most brothers that got along with each other did. But _not_ Ryder and Peeta.

His father must have sensed how troubled Ryder was feeling, so he got up out of his chair and took a seat next to his son. He put an arm around his shoulder and Ryder buried his face into his father's protective shoulder while asking in a choking voice, "W-what if he _doesn't_ make it?"

His father kept his arm firmly around his son, whose entire body was a shaking mess and told him shakily, "Gotta be _strong_, son...that's what Peeta would want. He'd want you to think _positive, hopeful thoughts."_

Ryder only shook his head and let out a sound that told his father he was clearly holding back a ton of emotion. All his father could do was hold him close and let him say whatever it was he wanted to say. He, his wife and two sons would deal with whatever happened..._together._

"But what if he...what if he _doesn't_?" he whimpered. "I have to...have to tell him things. There's so much I gotta tell him and I _**can't**_ let him die thinking that I'd _**hated**_ him! I'd_ never_ be able to forgive myself for it..."

All his father said was, "Let's hope for the best, son. All we can do right now..."

After that, it felt like time was passing incredibly slowly, and Jordix had to even check the clock on the wall to ensure the hands were still moving. They were, and it wasn't a surprise to any of them, but their heads and hearts were aching so badly that everything around them felt as if it were slowing down. All Ryder wanted was to barge into the operating room and see Peeta was doing, but he knew there was no chance of that happening, so he remained sitting with his head between his legs. He wanted to block out every sound and person around him and just let himself get lost in his thoughts while he came up with a decent apology to present his brother with. But he only wanted to punch the wall in anger when he realized he could _never_, not in a million years come up with an apology that could even begin to explain to Peeta how sorry he was. It was Peeta who had always been so natural and clever with words; finding the right words had always been a challenge for him. But despite that, he was determined to search every part of his mind to come up with what he hoped would be seen from Peeta as a genuinely truthful apology for how he'd acted over the years.

But what prevented him from coming up with an apology was his own spiteful voice that replayed all the nasty things he'd said to his brothers over the years. Sitting there and listening to himself speak, it was then that he fully understood how uncaring and despicably horrid he'd been to his younger brother.

"_You fuckin' little wuss! When are ya gonna grow up and accept that she doesn't care about you!_"

"_What did we paint today, Loser? Another picture of the girl we love but will never get to be with? What a joke..._"

"_Still painting those cupcakes with lameass sprinkles of hearts and smiles? What are you...a girl!?_"

"_Poor Peeta will never live up to anything. He'll just spend the rest of his stupid little life painting cupcakes and baking bread and dreaming of a girl who doesn't even know him. Lame...lame...fuckin' lame._"

"_**Why**_ was I _such_ a fuckin' _**asshole**_?" he thought miserably.

His brother Jordix took a seat next to him, put an arm around Ryder and said in as hopeful of a voice as he could offer, which wasn't much, "Come on, man. Peeta's gonna be fine. They're gonna fix him up, get him all better and then he'll come right back home."

"You can't _promise_ that, though," Ryder whispered sadly.

"No," Jordix admitted, staring Ryder right in the eye. "But as long as those doctors are in there working on him, there's _hope_, right?"

"I guess..." said Ryder, not sounding very convinced. "I just...I just _**need**_ to apologize to him."

"I know," said Jordix softly. "I wasn't the best brother to him, either. I had my moments where I'd pick on him and tell him—"

"But you weren't even _half _as bad as _I _was," said Ryder wretchedly. "I was the worst brother anyone could have and now I might _never_ get to tell him how sorry I am. He's gonna go to his grave and think that I spent my whole life hating him and thinking he was nothing but a loser. He didn't deserve _anything _I said or did to him...yet I _still_ did it..."

Jordix only nodded, let a tear fall from his eye and said quietly, "Then let's just pray...that he can make it through this."

When the long hours of waiting in fear and angst had passed, they were finally met with the sight of Dr. Aurelius making his way towards them. At once, all of them got to their feet and locked their eyes on the man who would reveal to them the condition that Peeta was in.

The desperation in the faces of families was never an easy thing to see, but Dr. Aurelius reassured them all with a smile and said gently, "He's going to be _**fine**_."

The four of them let out sighs and gasps of relief and Jordix had to keep Ryder from falling back into his chair. Their father took a deep breath to calm himself, and then turned to his wife with a relieved smile. She gave him a small smile in return and he could see the genuine relief in her eyes. Like Ryder, she was battling a sense of guilt herself and the fact that she had a chance to be with her son and change the harsh attitude that she'd held towards him over the years...was simply overwhelming. No more was she going to slap, hit or strike him in the face over something as foolish as having burnt a loaf of bread. No...she was going to transform herself into a _changed_ and _better_ mother for her son.

The doctor then went on to explain that the bullet had entered his left side and had lodged in his left lung. During the surgical operation which lasted three hours, things seemed to be going well until his breathing was staring to slow and his blood pressure was beginning to drop. For a while, they were afraid they'd lost him entirely but then...something surprised them. Out of nowhere, Peeta had come back fighting and his breathing had turned normal and his blood pressure was rising. None of them could quite explain how this had happened but the one thing they were all in agreement was that what they had seen that day in the operating room...was nothing short of a _**miracle.**_ They had witnessed a boy who was knocking on death's door come fighting back _stronger_ than ever as if his wounded body _refused_ to give out on him.

His father, mother and two brothers could only stare at the floor in silence. Hearing how close Peeta had been to dying, but to then suddenly spring back to life and keep on fighting...was a lot to take.

"C-can we see him, doctor?" asked Peeta's father.

Dr. Aurelius gestured for them to follow and said, "Of course. He's awake right now, and I'm sure he wants nothing more than to speak with all of you. Come with me."

So the four of them followed the doctor through the long halls where doctors, nurses and other health members were hurrying their way from out of one room and into another. The place was certainly busy and as they walked by, they noticed just how many patients were in need of care. Bed after bed they passed by and in each bed was another patient, waiting for a nurse or doctor to come in and check on their progress.

When at last Dr. Aurelius had brought them to the room that Peeta was in, they all just stood there with anxious faces as if they were about to walk in and see their son and brother _not_ alive...but dead. The doctor calmed them down immediately with a kind smile and pointed towards the open doorway. Together, the four of them stepped into the room...and _that's_ when they saw him.

Lying on the bed with his eyes closed was Peeta Mellark. His skin was pale as a ghost, but his face was peaceful and relaxed, which could only mean that he _was_ doing alright. The nurses had adjusted the bed for him just minutes ago so as to make him more comfortable when his family came in to see him. There was a large, soft pillow supporting his head and on either side of him were two machines that could only be there to monitor things like his heart rate and blood pressure. All in all, though Peeta looked very much tired, it looked like he still had that spark of life that he was so known for having.

The first person to approach him was his father. He stood right by his son's side and looked him over for at least a minute before putting a hand gently on his head. Peeta's lashes slowly fluttered, his eyes opened and he gave a small smile when he saw his dad staring down at him.

"Hi, Dad," he said quietly.

His father couldn't take it. The sheer joy of seeing his son alive was too much for him to handle at that moment. He put his forehead against his sons and said in a shaky and choking whisper, "Oh, _thank goodness_ you're okay, Peeta. We...we were _so_ worried, all of us. W-we thought you might not make it through surgery."

"I'm _really_ happy to see you guys," Peeta told them sincerely.

The next person to approach Peeta...was Ryder. He looked down at Peeta and it was obvious that he was fighting to keep from bursting out crying right then and there.

"Hi, Peeta," was all he said.

"Hey, Ryder," Peeta replied.

Ryder looked nervously at the machines, then back to Peeta and said, "So...so you feel _okay_?"

Peeta gave a slight nod and said, his voice still in a whisper, "Yeah...I'm okay."

After the four of them had spoken to Peeta and he'd assured them he was fine, Ryder asked if he could have just a bit of time with Peeta alone. When his father, mother and brother had left, he pulled up a chair beside Peeta and let out a sigh. He kept his head down for a moment and Peeta watched him carefully, and a look of concern crossed his face. Was Ryder okay?


	20. Nothing Short of a Miracle

Chapter 20: Nothing Short of a Miracle

When he lifted his head, Peeta saw that Ryder's eyes were red from crying. It was clear that there was much more going on in his older brother's mind than Peeta could guess.

"I have to tell you something, Peeta," said Ryder uneasily. "I...I don't even know where to begin—"

"You don't have to say anything," said Peeta softly. "If you'd rather sit there and—"

"But I have to!" was Ryder's argument. "I've been haunted by it ever since I watched you get in that ambulance. It's about how I've been treating you my whole life. I've tried coming up with as best of an apology as I could think of, but I don't know how great it's going to sound..."

"It's okay," said Peeta weakly. "You don't have to—"

"It's _**not **_okay, Peeta!" Ryder said with emotion, and from there all the words came pouring out. "Here I've spent the last seventeen years of my life torturing and picking on you like you were the _worst_ person in the world when really...you were the _**best**_ person in the world. I called you names everyday and I never even stopped to think about how that made you feel; I just kept on doing it. And all those times I kicked, punched and hit you so hard that your nose would bleed or you'd scrape your arm...it never even occurred to me how much I was hurting you. I never even realized any of these things, and then the second I saw you leaving the school in the back of that vehicle...I didn't know what to do with myself. It was like time slowed down for me and all I could think of right then watching you go...was that I'd _**lost**_ you and I'd never get the chance to tell you how sorry I am. I've been a complete asshole to you, and yet you never did anything to deserve what I did to you. Seventeen years I picked on you and made you seem like you were the biggest wuss in all of Panem, when in fact...you were the _**nicest and best**_ of _anyone_ I've ever known and—"

Ryder stopped, dropped his head while letting the tears come out, and then looked back at Peeta and went on, "I just want you to know that I'm done treating you like dirt. When you come home, I'm gonna be the kind of brother I should have been from the start. No more names, hitting, teasing or humiliating. I want to start treating you the way you _deserve_ to be treated. I'm just..._so_ sorry about everything. I can't even tell you _how_ sorry I am. I wish there was a way I could."

He then asked quietly, as if scared what the answer might be, "Peeta, can...can you _**ever **_forgive me?"

Without a hint of hesitation, Peeta responded honestly, "_**Of course**_, Ryder."

A tear fell down Ryder's cheek, and he quickly wiped it away. He then gave Peeta a truly grateful smile and said, "You_ really are _the nicest and best of anyone I've ever seen, little bro. I'm lucky to have a brother like you who'll forgive a jerk like me. I don't even deserve to have a brother like you, Peeta..."

Peeta carefully lifted his hand up, held it out to Ryder and smiled, "_Friends?_" Ryder took his hand, gave it a shake and chuckled, though it was clear that he was still holding back from crying, "_**Friends**_."

Peeta lowered his hand back on the bed and gave a light sigh. He then gave a little grin and said to Ryder, "Just think. I'll finally be able to show you how much _better_ I am at video games than you..."

"Oh, yeah?" said Ryder, with an even bigger grin. "Have you even _seen_ me play?"

"I have," said Peeta. "And I've seen you play enough to know that I can kick your butt."

"Is that so?" said Ryder, who chuckled and said, "Alright, Peeta. When we get home, we'll see who the best gamer is. You and I will battle it out for the title of _Best Gamer_."

"You're on," said Peeta.

Before Ryder left, he gave Peeta a final look and Peeta could tell just by one look into his eyes that _already_...his brother had changed into a _**better person**_.

"Thanks, Peeta..." said Ryder.

Peeta gave a nod, and Ryder held his gaze for a long moment before turning and leaving.

Once Ryder had left the room, Peeta was alone for a while. He'd suddenly found himself very tired and after having been fed by one of the nurses, what he really wanted was to doze off and get some sleep. Ever since he'd gotten to the hospital, he'd found he was more tired and exhausted than he'd ever been. Having just come out of surgery not too long ago, his body was now entering the stage of recovery and as the doctors had told him, he'd be out of the hospital and back home in about two weeks.

The following morning, he awoke to see Dr. Aurelius standing by his bed. He was holding a phone by his ear, and when Peeta realized who he was talking to, he had to resist from jumping out of his bed right then and grabbing the phone. But he knew his recovering body would have _never_ forgiven him for that, so he stayed put and patiently waited. A moment or so later, the doctor gave a nod and then handed the phone to Peeta with a smile.

"It's Katniss Everdeen," he told him. "She'd like to speak to you."

"R-really!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "She's on the phone?" He immediately wished he hadn't shouted, because a slight pain was now burning in his throat, but he ignored it and focused only on the phone and Katniss.

Dr. Aurelius chuckled and said, "Yes."

Peeta took the phone and had to keep from dropping it out of excitement. With a whisper, he said, "_Hi,_ _sweetheart_."

"_P-Peeta_?" came Katniss's voice. He could tell right away that she'd been crying.

"Hi, Katniss," he said, and a smile crossed his face. "It's so good to hear your voice."

"How...how are you?" she asked quickly.

"I'm okay," Peeta reassured her. "Really. I was actually wondering if you wanted to come in and see me? I already asked the doctors and they said they're alright with it."

"S-sure!" she said excitedly. "I'll be there soon as I can."

An hour later, Katniss had arrived at the Bernick hospital and was now waiting just outside of Peeta's room along with Dr. Aurelius. Her mother and Prim were downstairs and both told her to not rush and take all the time she needed. Now that she was hear and seconds from meeting with Peeta, the overwhelming feeling of joy was stronger than ever. After all the fears that had consumed since watching Peeta get shot...she was now about to be reunited with her boy with the bread.

The doctor gave a light chuckle and said, "He dozed off just a few minutes ago, but that's because he's been so tired what with having just come out of surgery and all. He's _really_ looking forward to seeing you."

Upon hearing the words, "He's _really_ looking forward to seeing you," Katniss couldn't help the smile that was creeping onto her face, nor the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"Now, you can stay in here for a while," Dr. Aurelius explained to her. "He won't need to be checked on again for a little bit, but if you see anything happening – if he's having trouble breathing, or if he looks like he might go unconscious – just let us know, alright?"

"D-do you think that'll happen?" she asked nervously.

The doctor shook his head and said with certainty, "I don't think so. Based on what we've seen, we're confident he's going to make a speedy and healthy recovery. It's amazing though; we felt sure we'd lost him halfway through surgery but then out of nowhere he comes back and by the end of it, he leaves the surgeon, myself and every nurse flabbergasted. _**Never**_ in the years that I've been at this hospital have I witnessed such..._such incredible determination to survive_. All I can say is that that boy was _blessed_ with a _**miracle**_. It's nothing short of a _miracle_."

He then turned and walked down the hall. Katniss watched him go and replayed his words in her head, as if realizing just how close she'd been to losing Peeta.

"_Never in the years that I've been at this hospital have I witnessed such...such incredible determination to survive. All I can say is that that boy was blessed with a miracle. It's nothing short of a miracle."_

If what had happened with Peeta in the operating room _had _been in fact a miracle, then she was just thankful that such a thing had occurred. If not for that, then the call she'd gotten from Dr. Aurelius would have been horribly different and rather than hearing that Peeta was alive...he would have given her the grim news that he _hadn't_ made it.

Not wanting to stand there any longer, she took a breath and quietly made her way into the room. When she saw him lying there, fast asleep, she couldn't help but give a tiny gasp, as if she were seeing him for the first time. She had expected him to be bleeding, coughing and generally to look like he was a damaged mess, but what she saw was just the opposite. Where his face had been pale yesterday, it looked like there was more color in it today; not much, but it was noticeable. The calm and peaceful look on his face suggested to her that he _must_ be doing well, and if things continued the way they were now...then he'd definitely be out of here within two weeks, just as Dr. Aurelius had said.

Slowly, she made her way up beside him and stood next to his bed while staring down at his face. He looked so peaceful when he slept, and as he always did when he slept, he was snoring lightly. The sound of his snoring always got a laugh out of her because though it wasn't very loud or annoying at all...it was funny to hear how quiet of a snorer he was. She also thought it was adorable.

She set the bag she'd been carrying on one of the tables. In it, was the photo album she'd put together just last night, as well as their mask that she'd painted in school. She'd made sure to bring both of them to give as gifts to Peeta so he'd have something to remind him of her while he remained in the hospital for the required two weeks.

She then returned to his side and gently put her hand on his head while running her fingers through his blond hair. She loved how soft it felt to the touch and if it would have been allowed, she would have stayed there all day just watching him sleep, never wanting to leave the comfort of being so close to him. The last time she'd seen him he'd been lying on the hard floor of Madderson High in a lonely hall with a bullet in his chest. She'd had to hold him and as he'd asked her to, she'd sung the Valley Song for him and after that, everything had been so chaotic that she'd hardly remembered what had happened.

Now, he was sleeping soundly in front of her and under the safety and eyes of the doctors and nurses; he was as safe and out of harm's way as he'd ever be. Pulling up a chair, she put it next to his bed, took a seat and continued to stroke his hair, never wanting to leave or let go of him. She was so overjoyed to be here with him that she didn't want to think when she'd have to leave him and return home, where she'd have to wait for him to complete his recovery.

She shifted her gaze to his hands, and went on staring at them for the longest time. She was so focused on them that she hadn't noticed Peeta's eyes were fluttering open. He blinked, opened them and when he saw who was sitting beside him, he broke out in the biggest smile.

"_**Katniss!**_"

Her reaction was instant. She left his hands and went right up to his head where she took his face in both her hands and not even seconds had passed before she was tearing up again. Her boy with the bread was awake and at last, after having missed him for so long...they were together at last.

"_**P-Peeta**_!" she gasped, and lightly caressed his face. "Are you-"

He chuckled lightly and said, "I'm okay, Katniss. Don't worry, the doctors and nurses have been really good to me; they check up on me almost all the time."

"Are you in any pain though?" she asked quickly, and the thought of him being in any bit of discomfort was consuming her and she couldn't stop from bombarding him with questions. "Does your head hurt? Is your breathing alright? What about your—"

"Relax, Katniss," he said softly, and brought his hand up to her face. He held it there for a long moment and then smiled into her eyes. He could see just how worried and concerned she'd been and even now, with her being with him, she was still wanting to make sure he wasn't in the slightest pain. "The doctors say I'm healing remarkably well. They said I'll be as good as new in about two weeks, and then I'll be okay to go back to school."

She locked her eyes on his, and then nodded and said, "Sorry. It's just... I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I know," he whispered. "But there's nothing to worry about _now_, sweetheart. Everything's gonna be fine."

She nodded, and that's when he asked her gently, "Have _you_ been doing okay?"

"_Not really_," she said honestly, letting a tear fall onto her cheek. "It was...it was hard not having you around, Peeta. I'm just _**so glad**_ you're alive..."

Her brought his hand up to her head and slowly ran his fingers through her dark hair.

"_I am too_," he answered softly. He then asked, "What about the...gunman?"

"The police got him," was her quick response. "As soon as I told them he planned to come into the school and...and shoot you, they took him away and assured me that he wouldn't be escaping. He's now behind bars."

"Is everyone else okay? Nobody else got hurt?"

"Everyone's fine," she reassured him. "Nobody was shot and not a single bomb went off."

There was a brief pause, and then Peeta glanced over and noticed a small bag on the table. He figured the less they talked about the shooting, the better. The important thing was that Titus was now locked up and behind bars and even more importantly...the two could return to school and enjoy all the things they loved doing together like drawing, baking or just sitting and talking for hours.

He looked back to Katniss and asked curiously while pointing to his left, "What's in the bag?"

She got up and walked over to the table. She took the bag and then returned to Peeta's side where she started digging through it. He glued his eyes to the bag as if trying to guess what might possibly be inside. When she pulled out the first item, he was dangerously close to crying because what she'd revealed from the bag was a fully painted mask – _their_ mask. It was the mask they'd planned on painting together. He was going to paint as many treats – cookies, cakes, brownies, bread – as he could on his and on her side, she was going to fill it with different colored mockingjays. As he looked it over, all he could think was how beautiful of a job Katniss had done painting it.

"That looks amazing," he told her. "Can I see it?"

When she'd handed it to him, he went on staring at it and inspecting it from all angles. He loved the various shades of colors she'd use for the birds – the golden yellows, emerald greens, violet purples, royal blues, pallid whites, crimson reds – they all made the mask a true piece of art. He then turned his attention to his side of the mask and when he saw what she'd done with it, he broke out in another smile. Painted delicately on his side of the mask were cookies, cakes, bread, cupcakes, brownies and even the delicious cheese buns she'd grown to crave. They were all there and the way Peeta saw it, he couldn't have done a better job himself.

"You did such a good job," he said, handing it back to her. "Did Mr. Odair see it?"

"He let me keep it," said Katniss. "He said I could show it to you but before that, when I showed it to him, he barely even looked at it and said we'd gotten an A+."

"An _**A+**_!" Peeta exclaimed. "_Really_?"

"Yeah," said Katniss. "I was pretty shocked when he said that, since I've never gotten that kind of mark before..."

"You've gotten a lot better with your skills," Peeta commented. "Seems like just yesterday you were saying how bad you were with art...but look at you _now_. You're an _**Artist**_ now."

"I learned from the best," she said with a smile.

He gave a small grin and said, "Glad I could help."

She put it on the table beside him and said, "Here. I want you to have it. You can keep it here till you come home."

"You sure you don't want to take it?"

"No, I'm positive," she said quickly. "I don't want you to be stuck here for two weeks without anything to have to look at. There isn't a whole lot to look at besides the walls, which aren't exactly colourful. At least this way, you can add a bit of color to the room."

He looked around the room and then said, "It _is_ kind of dull, isn't it?"

"A little," she said.

"It'd be nice to have a painting in here," he added. "Maybe one of the ocean, or a sunset...or anything nice to look at. Not much fun spending the day staring at a blank wall."

She then reached her hand back into the bag. What she next pulled out was the small green-colored photo album that she'd filled with pictures just the previous night. She ran her hand along the front of it, and then quietly handed it to Peeta. He took it gently and then he too ran his hand along the front of it while reading the words in the center.

"_**Our Memories**_," he whispered.

"I put it together last night," she told him softly. But as she thought back to that night, she couldn't stop the few tears escaping from her eyes. She'd been so afraid that Peeta would never get to see a book with photos of them doing everything and anything together. She'd feared that the only set of eyes that would ever look upon the album's photos...were _hers._ Knowing that Peeta was right here beside her sent an overwhelming feeling of comfort through her entire body. The seven photos that made up the album weren't to be the only ones...they could now go on creating _many more memories_ that would be added to the precious book.

He opened the book and the first memory he was met with was the one he'd originally suggested to her – which was their first day in art class. It had been when the two had officially met and from there, a friendship and eventual romance would blossom. Followed by this were: the paintings they'd done of the three cupcakes and mockingjay pin; the two having lunch in the cafeteria; down by the lake where they'd shared their first kiss; eating cake and studying for an algebra test, playing Truth or Dare at Glimmer's party and finally, another trip down to the lake while feasting on soft, warm cheese buns. Their book of memories had begun and he looked forward to watching the book grow with _many_, _many_ more good times to come.

The two spent close to thirty minutes going through each of the pictures and re-visiting all the laughs, smiles, romance and jokes that they'd shared. It felt good to look back on all that they'd done so far, and even better to think just how many _more_ memories would soon be added. It was after they'd closed the book and set it next to the mask, that Peeta remembered something.

"Hey, I almost forgot," he said to Katniss.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm gonna be back to school in two weeks," said Peeta. "That means by the time I get back, it'll be the first week of December. You know what that means?"

She gave him a puzzled look, and then he smiled and said, "A dance!"

"Oh yeah," she said, suddenly remembering. Madderson High always held a dance the beginning of every month and since December was fast approaching, another dance was on the way.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go with me," he smiled. "I've heard a lot of people say the dances are pretty awesome."

"Okay," said Katniss. "That'll be a fun thing to do before we'll have to study our butts off for the next math test."

"_Ugh_," was all Peeta said.

"You _always_ say that when it comes to math tests, Peeta!" she said, and burst out laughing.

"Oh, I _know_," he said. "I'm really happy that my math skills have improved and all but...still not the biggest fan of math. _Ugh_..."

She shook her head and said, "Only one more month and then it'll be done. Then we're into second semester."

An hour later, Dr. Aurelius had returned and politely asked if he and the nurses could be alone with Peeta to perform another assessment. Katniss remained sitting as she turned to the doctor and asked quietly, "Can I give him a...a kiss good-bye before I go?"

"Of course," said Dr. Aurelius.

Katniss moved up to Peeta, put both her hands on either side of his face and let the warmth of his skin flow right through her. He stared right into her eyes and then before he had time to think much of anything else, he felt her soft lips pressing against his own and without even realizing it...he'd closed his eyes. He brushed his lips against hers and for a brief moment he felt her sucking on his bottom lip, and then a few seconds later, he felt her slowly pulling away. She held her forehead against his for just a little bit longer, and then whispered, "_See you soon_..."

He gave her one last quick kiss on the lips and whispered back, "_Bye, sweetheart_."

Though it wasn't easy to have to leave him, she knew Peeta was in the best hands and that in two weeks time, she and him would be getting ready for a dance, which would become yet _another_ memory they could add to their album. With that pleasant thought in mind, she gave him a smile and then made her way out the doors and downstairs where her mother and sister were waiting.

"She seems to _**really**_ care about you," Dr. Aurelius observed. "You have a _wonderful_ girlfriend, Peeta."

He lowered his head back onto the pillow and answered softly, "_**The best in the world**_, Doctor."


	21. Returning Home

Chapter 21: Returning Home

During the two weeks Peeta spent at the Bernick Hospital, he found his strength returning with every day and soon enough, he was itching to finally be able to go home with his family. Both the doctors and nurses were able to see his incredible improvement and though most had feared that he wouldn't make it through surgery...it came as a big surprise to all of them when he _did_ survive. He'd been on knocking on death's door but from somewhere there came something that the nurses could only convince the doctors was a miracle. Peeta wasn't entirely sure whether it had been a miracle, or if he was just extremely lucky, but whatever the case, only one thought had been lingering in his mind the second the bullet got shot into his chest – and that was that he'd made a promise to Katniss. She'd asked him, "_Stay with me?_" and his immediate answer had been, "_**Always**_." Despite the fact that he'd been wounded and as close to death as one could find themselves, he'd pulled through and _kept_ his promise.

When the two weeks were up, and Dr. Aurelius was standing at his beside while performing a final assessment, the only thing Peeta was thinking was, "I _can't wait_ to get home." After a few minutes of checking his vital signs, breathing and blood pressure, the doctor gave a pleased smile and said, "Well, everything looks great, Peeta. Two weeks in the hospital and you've made just as healthy of a recovery as I've ever seen."

"So does that mean I can now go—"

"Yes, Peeta," the doctor chuckled, still smiling. "You're free to go home now."

Peeta's face lit up and all the memories of his home came flooding back. Though he'd only been in the hospital for a period of two weeks, it had felt like a lifetime. No longer would he have to wake up in a bed in a room with hardly any windows, paintings and have to realize he was far from home...because he was _going home_. He'd be returning to all the things that defined his life and gave it enjoyment – decorating cakes, baking bread, painting and drawing – he'd be going back to that. Even better, there was something else he was looking forward to and he knew that _he_ was probably even more excited about it than Peeta was and that was getting to spend time with Ryder. Not once in seventeen years had the two done anything remotely fun together. Never did they go to a movie, a party or simply sit down and talk about all the things that brothers talked about.

All their relationship had been for seventeen years was one of pure conflict. All the times that Ryder would land a punch to Peeta's face, or kick him in the knees, or go on saying he was the biggest loser in Panem or even spit in his face...that was all to become a thing of the past. It would be _forgotten_ and put in the back of _both_ their minds and above all...it would be _**forgiven.**_ Where some brothers would never even think to forgive such torment, Peeta wasn't the kind of person to stay resentful and hold a grudge. He was just happy that he and his brother could finally start anew and have something he'd always wanted to have with Ryder...and that was a _friendship._ Ryder had always presented himself as spiteful, annoying, vulgar and arrogant, but Peeta had hoped that beneath the hard shell that he'd covered himself in for so long...was a normal and honest person that he could be friends with. After seventeen long years of patiently waiting, he was about to discover who Ryder Mellark truly was...and he could hardly wait.

It wasn't until Peeta was in the back of his father's car and they were at last leaving the place that had been his home for two weeks that it hit him – he was _going_ home. To his _real home_.

"I got five new games for us!" said Ryder excitedly. "I've played my old ones too many times, so they're not that fun anymore, so I figured it'd be cool to get some new ones."

"Uh, that's because you play them _all_ the time," said Jordix, who let out a laugh.

"Yeah, but you play them too," Ryder pointed out.

"But not as much as you, bro," Jordix shot back. "You're like addicted."

"But it's a fun addiction," said Ryder with a grin. "Can't argue with that." He then turned and looked at Peeta and said, "So you still think you can win the title for Best Gamer?"

"Absolutely," said Peeta.

"Can't wait to prove to you how _wrong_ you are," said Ryder teasingly.

"Like I said before," said Peeta, and stared his brother right in the eye. "You're on..."

"Hmm, sounds like it's gonna be an intense competition," said their mother thoughtfully. "I'll have to make something special for the occasion. Maybe cookies?"

"Oh, it's gonna be," said Ryder. "I'm gonna kick his butt..._big time_. Count on it."

"Already told you, Ryder," Peeta threw in. "It's _your_ butt that _I'm_ gonna kick, and there's nothing you can do about it. That title of Best Gamer is gonna be mine."

"We'll see, little bro," said Ryder, giving him an exaggerated stare, but Peeta could see the forming grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "We'll see..."

So far, Peeta had only known the new Ryder for a short while but one thing was certain – he _loved_ him already. Gone was the obnoxious slug that liked tormenting and boasting about how much better he was than his brother. Peeta could now joke with Ryder and rather than Ryder glare at him and try and force him to the ground for yet another assault, he'd just laugh back. It was a good feeling to be able to joke with him, and not only that, but they could have friendly arguments as opposed to the ones they used to have which only led to a nasty fight. It was also soothing to think that his mother was now going to start acting more nicely towards him. All his life, she'd done nothing but scold and yell at him for messing up or doing something as minor as dropping a loaf of bread on the floor. But that, like Ryder's behaviour, was to be a thing of the past as the five of them looked ahead into a future that would bring them closer together than they could _ever_ imagine.

As soon as the car started to pull into the driveway, Peeta looked out the window and stared as if he'd been gone for an entire year, when he'd really only been gone for fourteen days. But with it having felt like so much longer than just two weeks, it _really_ did seem like he were coming home for the _first_ time; it was an odd, but comforting feeling. The second his father turned off the car, Peeta opened the door and hopped out, and was quickly followed by Ryder, Jordix, his mother and then his father. They stood beside Peeta, who could only keep his unblinking eyes on the house as if he were stuck in a trance.

"Welcome home, son," was all his father said, and put an arm around Peeta. He then added sincerely, "It's _good_ to have you back."

"Thanks, Dad," said Peeta quietly. He was so mesmerized by the sight of his house that he'd hardly heard what his father had said. After having gotten a bullet in the chest and struck with the immense, haunting fear that he'd never see home again...emotions were running high in his head. He might have stood there for an hour and just cried at the joy of simply being alive if Ryder hadn't taken his hand and forced him to walk towards the house and the front door while saying eagerly, "Come on, Peeta!"

Peeta gave a last look at the house and then followed his brother up to the front door. Ryder unlocked it, and then opened it up, letting everyone in. He then closed the door and saw Peeta stuck in yet another obvious trance as he looked around at all the things he hadn't seen in two weeks – the beautifully decorated cakes and cupcakes, the pastries and the many freshly made loafs of bread – they were all still here. In two weeks he hadn't seen the bakery and in two weeks he hadn't been able to enjoy himself by designing the cupcakes, which was the single best thing he liked doing. Ryder could tell how shocked and overjoyed Peeta was at being home and it made him all the more relaxed, because though he'd seemed confident and reassured that his brother would most definitely return home, there'd still been a fear deep down that the worst might happen – and that was Peeta's death. He'd had to ignore the constant fear of something going wrong and the doctors and nurses not being able to stop it from worsening. It had been eating him up but when Dr. Aurelius had made the call to inform them that Peeta was indeed recovered and all set to leave, all his fears had been washed away.

He watched his brother for the longest time and for some reason, he was hit with such overwhelming joy that he _wasn't_ going to be an ass to his little bro another more. It was like he was finally understanding just how much of an impact his brother getting shot had had on him. What had truly done it was seeing Peeta's still, potentially lifeless body getting lifted into the back of the ambulance and fearing that he would never see his little brother again. He figured seeing Peeta standing there looking so calmed and delighted to be home made him truly realize how great things were going to be between them from that point on. They were now officially friends and the days of him treating Peeta as if he were his enemy were thrown out the window..._completely._

"_I swear, Peeta...I'm gonna be a great brother to you," _thought Ryder. "_I'm done treating you like dirt. I'm never gonna be mean to you again, I promise. You're gonna be treated good...__**really good**__, just like you deserve little bro_. _If you ever need me for __**anything**__...I'll be there_."

A few hours later, Peeta and Ryder were upstairs sitting in the living room and both their eyes were fixed intently on the TV. For an hour straight now, the two had been fiercely battling it out for the title of 'Best Gamer' and so far, Ryder was winning. But as Peeta quickly demonstrated, he was a tough competitor and every so often he'd take the lead and leave his brother in shock. The atmosphere in the room was tense and when Jordix casually walked by, he stopped and looked at Peeta and Ryder...and his eyes widened.

"Now _that's_ what you call intense," Jordix declared, and turned his attention to the flashing screen. He then asked casually, "So who's winning?"

"Me," said Ryder, and quickly hit one of the buttons on his controller while keeping his eyes glued to the screen. "But it's close...Peeta's gonna beat me if I don't keep it up."

"I _am _gonna beat you!" said Peeta excitedly. "No chance of stopping me now. You're going down..."

"Not yet, I'm not!" Ryder shot back, and made an expert move that scored him a few points. He let out a victorious, "Yes!" and then immediately returned his focus back to the game.

Jordix watched for a little bit longer, then turned and walked off while calling, "Good luck, Ryder. Peeta's gonna kick your butt...big time."

Ten minutes later, the competition had come to an end and Peeta had come out as the winner and was presented with the title of 'Best Gamer." It had been a close game, and several times Peeta had been convinced that Ryder would easily snatch victory right out of his grasp but Peeta had then turned the tables on Ryder by playing harder than he'd ever played. Halfway through the game, their mother had even come in to give them a plate of freshly baked cookies and it was then that Peeta got his first feeling of appreciation towards the changed woman his mother had become. The harshness, coldness and strictness that had once been her identity had been wiped clean and in its place was a much nicer, and more thoughtful one. In a way, though him getting shot had been nothing short of tragic and had left everyone stunned, there was _some_ good that came out of the frightening event. His brother, who had lived an entire life as a despicable slug and his mother, who'd been nothing but cold and insensitive towards her son, had both been drastically changed. One might think they they'd changed so completely that they were no longer the same person, but someone else entirely. He concluded that if anything good had come out of him getting shot and spending two weeks in the hospital while recovering, it was that _both_ his brother and mother were now seeing things in a new, different and much clearer light.

When the two were finishing their last cookie, Ryder held his hand out to Peeta.

"Great game," he commented. "It was pretty awesome."

Peeta took his hand, gave it a shake and answered, "Thanks. You almost had me there, though. Thought for sure you'd win with how good of a gamer you are and all. I mean, you've been playing a lot longer than I have. You've got loads more experience."

Ryder shrugged and said, "Yeah, but you've some pretty mad skills there, bro. I bet you could even take Jordix, if you wanted. He don't play much when he does...man, watch out." There was a brief pause, till Ryder told Peeta sincerely, "We'll have to do that again sometime; it was really fun."

"Definitely," said Peeta. "I'd love to try out those other games you bought."

Ryder nodded, then got up and was about to head downstairs when Peeta called, "Ryder?"

He turned around and asked, "Yeah?"

"Remember a long time ago when I came to you," he started. "And I told you I had to thank you for something? Remember how I said that when you went and told Katniss how I felt about her and how I've loved her for as long as I had that I was actually happy you did that? Well...I meant what I said back then. I know you might still bad for having done it, but if you hadn't told her all that, then who knows if I would have ever gotten the courage to go up and tell her myself?"

Ryder said nothing in response; he just listened to his brother and rolled the words around carefully in his head.

"So in a way, Ryder," Peeta continued. "It's because of you that Katniss and I are together. _You're_ the one that told her how much I loved her. It wasn't _me_...it was _**you.**_ I won't lie, I was pretty embarrassed and all at first but that happened so long ago that now I'm just thankful that you went and did what you did. You helped me get together with the girl I love. I don't know what else to say but..._thanks_ for that, Ryder."

Ryder smiled and with a chuckle said, "Who would have thought that me trying to embarrass my brother would actually turn out for the better and get him exactly what he wanted?"

"_Really_," Peeta agreed. "Guess _good_ results can sometimes come out of _bad_ intentions."

Ryder chuckled again and said, "Well, glad I could help, Peeta. If you ever need my help for anything, just come and find me and _don't_ worry...I _won't_ be humiliating you _**anymore**_."

"Thanks, Ryder," said Peeta sincerely. "I appreciate it."

Come nine o'clock, Peeta was crawling into bed for an early sleep. After having spent two weeks in the hospital, he wanted nothing more than to sleep in his own _bed_, in his own _room_, and in his own _house_. As soon as he threw the blankets over him and he put his head on the soft pillow that had been his for years, a feeling of comfort and absolute safety came over him. His bed was one of the many things he'd missed so much during his stay at the Bernick Hospital because though the hospital beds weren't exactly uncomfortable, they couldn't compare to the softness and comfort of his own.

In less than ten minutes, Peeta had dozed off and was now in dreamland. Ever since he'd first been taken to the hospital, he hadn't experienced a single nightmare, nor had he seen any reappearances of the vicious hawk that he'd encountered so many times. He wasn't sure why, but all he knew was that ever since the nightmares had stopped, his nights had become much more peaceful and enjoyable. He even wondered if what the doctors and nurses had done to him had in some way gotten rid of the hawk itself. He hadn't the slightest idea how they could have done that, or if it was even possible, but he hoped that was the case because that meant he could now look forward to heading to bed every night. Even better, perhaps the hawk had finally given up trying to win Katniss over? Neither he nor Katniss had spoken to Gale in quite some time; the last time Peeta had was at Glimmer's party which was a month and a half ago and Katniss's last encounter with him had been a month ago. It had been the day after Peeta had been shot when he'd come and talked with her in the cafeteria.

"_Maybe things will finally get better from here_," thought Peeta sleepily. "_No more threatening me, no more trying to beat me up, no more trying to convince Katniss he's better for her...no more—" _but he didn't have time to think much more because he was already nodding off.

The dream he was in felt more like reality and he only wished it could go on forever. He and Katniss were down by the lake once again but this time, they weren't sitting down by the lake – they were up in the treetops. They'd been able to climb their way up one of the largest trees with almost no effort and had found themselves a long, thick branch to sit on while admiring the view. Everything looked so much bigger and grander from such an incredible height; it was the closest feeling to being a bird and experiencing how they would perceive things from way up high.

"This is beautiful," said Katniss. "It's like I don't want to stop looking at it..."

"I _know_," Peeta agreed. "Takes your breath away, doesn't it?"

She laughed and said, "I'll have to show Prim this. She'll be just as crazy about it."

Peeta was about to respond, when he was instantly cut off by what could only be described as a sound of..._sheer terror._

"_**PEETA!"**_

"Someone's calling for you," Katniss told him, looking around in puzzlement. "Who is it?"

"I-I dunno," said Peeta, and quickly started making his way down the tree. "But it sounds familiar. I gotta go see who it is."

She watched him climb down and called, "Careful, Peeta! You might—"

But it was too late. Peeta had already lost his grip and was plummeting down towards the ground which was a good fifty feet below him. It all happened so fast and so violently, that he hardly remembered the force of the impact as his body slammed into the ground...because he was yanked out of the dream and brought back to reality.

When he awoke, he was panting and out of breath, but he wasn't as freaked or panicked as he usually was when faced with the killer hawk. It took him all of three seconds to remember that someone had been calling to him, and as he listened closely, he heard it again. The sound was filled with such fear that it made him want to get back under the covers and not come out because the person who was screaming...was his brother, _Ryder._

He was out of that bed in less than a second. He bolted out of his room at full speed and hurried down the hall, took a right and stormed into his brother's room. He shoved the door open and went right to his brother's side. He leaned in close, took a look at his face and saw that Ryder was clearly in the middle of a nightmare. He was murmuring words that Peeta couldn't quite understand, but before he had time to think about it much longer, Ryder's lips began trembling and then another cry escaped his lips.

"_**PEETA! NO!**_" he screamed, and then his entire body began to shake.

Peeta grabbed his brother by the shoulders and gave him a firm shake while shouting, "_Ryder!_ Come on, man! _Wake up!_"

Ryder's only response was to shout even louder.

"_**DON'T!**_" he was screaming wildly. "_Please_..._**DON'T!**_"

"_Ryder!_" Peeta shouted, and his voice was now close to a scream. "Snap out of it, Ryder! Come on, man..._**WAKE UP!**_"

Ryder gave a loud gasp and his eyes instantly flew open. He took a few deep breaths and when he noticed Peeta standing over him, he gave an even bigger breath out of pure relief. But then, as if the nightmare were coming back to him, a tear started forming in his eye and he let out a chocking sort of sound.

Peeta kept a firm hand on his brother's shoulder and asked, "Ryder, what's wrong? What was it?"

"I-It was you Peeta," said Ryder shakily.

"_What_?" said Peeta, confused.

"It was _you_!" Ryder repeated, and the look of fear hadn't left his eyes as he went on, "Y-you were in the ambulance a-and the men weren't doing anything! I was telling them to get you to the hospital but all they did was s-stand there and smile! They just shrugged and said you'd be fine and that there was nothing to worry about but then...then y-you stopped breathing!"

"It's okay though, Ryder," said Peeta softly, and looked his brother right in the eye. "I'm right here...I'm okay. It was just a nightmare."

"But...but you _**died**_, Peeta!" said Ryder with emotion. "They let you die! I kept telling them to get you to the hospital, but all they did was say I was overreacting and that you'd get better on your own. Then I looked at the ambulance and saw your body stop moving. You...you _**died!**_"

Peeta put both his hands on Ryder's shoulders and said in a calm, soothing voice, "I'm _right _here, Ryder. I'm not dead; I haven't gone _anywhere_. I'm _right here_..._see_?"

Ryder calmed down a little, and nodded while putting his head back on the pillow. He looked convinced enough, so Peeta was about to turn and head back to his room when Ryder grabbed his brother's arm.

"I _**won't**_ let it happen again," he said quietly, but with authority.

"Let what happen?" asked Peeta.

"I _won't_ let you get taken from me again," was Ryder's answers. "I almost lost you once...I'm _not _letting it happen again. I swear I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. I...I don't even care if something happens to _me_; all I know is nothing's gonna happen to you."

**Hope you liked this chapter! I'm almost finished with the next one so I should have that one up by tomorrow, for sure. As always, please keep letting me know how you're liking the story, as your thoughts keep me motivated to keep on writing! Until next time friends :)**


	22. Thanks Little Bro

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. I'm just mentioning it in my story.**

Chapter 22: Thanks Little Bro

"Don't _say_ that, Ryder!" said Peeta quickly. The idea of losing his older brother when he'd just recently starting forming a bond with him was both unbearable and unthinkable. "We're gonna be _fine_."

"And maybe we _will_ be," said Ryder. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm _not_ letting a _thing_ happen to you."

"Don't worry, Ryder," said Peeta reassuringly. "Nothing's gonna happen to me. I'm home now. Everything's gonna be alright now, okay?"

Ryder didn't nod his head or respond right away. He just stared at Peeta with an intense look in his eyes and the longer Peeta went on holding his brother's gaze...the more uncomfortable he was starting to feel. He wanted to calm his brother down and give him the promise that nothing more was going to happen to him, but it was obvious that Ryder wanted Peeta to know just how serious he was about what he meant.

"It probably will be," said Ryder soberly. "But I just want you to know that I'm there for you. I'm not letting _anything_ happen to you _again_, Peeta. I just want you to know that...that I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

"I know that Ryder," said Peeta quietly. "And I'll be watching your back, too."

"You always _have_ been, Peeta," Ryder told him. "Now it's my turn to start watching _your _back."

Once Peeta was back in his room and under the covers, he thought back to what Ryder had told him and he felt bad that his brother had experienced such a nightmare. Here Peeta hadn't even been home for a few days and Ryder was starting to have nightmares where his brother didn't even make it to the hospital to get cared for but instead...had died in the back of that ambulance. Peeta couldn't even imagine what that must have felt like for him, so instead of sitting there pondering about it, he closed his eyes and once more went back to the wonderful world of dreams.

The following day was an exciting one for the people of Madderson High. After having watched one of their fellow students get shot and then hurried off to the hospital, it was a great relief to know that they'd be returning to school, alive and well. It was just as exciting for Peeta to finally be able to return to the class he loved so much, which was art. He'd missed working on paintings and sketches with Katniss and he could hardly wait to see what their next big assignment was. Since it was now officially the first week of December, that meant they had all but one month left of the semester. After that, semester two would arrive and with it three new classes, which for Peeta would consist of art (which was one of the few subjects that ran all year long), english and gym.

The moment Peeta stepped through the front doors of the school, he was immediately met with a crowd of students that gathered around him in excitement. He gave them all a friendly wave and a smile and within under a few seconds he'd heard his name called over twenty times.

"Hi Peeta!" one girl exclaimed. "Awesome to have you back!"

"How you doing, Peeta?" one guy asked. "Great to see you're okay!"

"Hey guys!" said Peeta, making sure to smile at as many of them as he could. "Great to be back. Thanks for coming to say hi to me."

He then quickly checked his phone and said, "Gotta get to class though See ya!" He started running down one of the halls but called over his shoulder, "Thanks again!"

For the rest of the week, Peeta busied himself with numerous things like labelling biology diagrams, answering math questions out of the text and planning out his next painting for art. It felt good to be back in school and getting into the old routine of homework. It wasn't that he enjoyed doing homework, but he was so happy to be doing _anything_ other than lying in a bed all day while doctors and nurses came to check on him when all he really wanted was to get back home to his friends and family. Besides doing assignments and handing in the odd project or two, what his mind was mostly focusing itself on was the upcoming dance that Friday. He and Katniss would be going together and since they hadn't yet gone to a school dance, he was eager to see what they were like.

What he hadn't expected was to get a pretty serious headache the day of the dance. He'd barely been in school for an hour when out of nowhere, his head started throbbing and aching and suddenly it was hard to tell where he was or what was happening. He wasted no time in hurrying home where he spent the rest of the day in bed relaxing and letting the headache take its course. While he was in bed, his mother made sure to come up as often as she could to check up on him, which he greatly appreciated. He'd only been home a few days and already his mother was doing something she'd hardly ever done as Peeta was growing up – _**caring**_ for him.

"Thanks, Mom," said Peeta appreciatively. "I think it's starting to get better."

She smiled and said, "That's good. If you need any more pills or a drink or anything, just let me know."

"I will."

Unfortunately for Peeta, the headache _didn't_ go away soon enough for him to be able to make it to the dance, but that didn't stop him from convincing Katniss to still go. He told her she could still have a great time with Madge, Johanna, Glimmer, Clove and Delly, and that they could always go to a dance some other time. It took a while to convince her to go since what she'd really wanted was for it to be a fun, romantic night for the two of them, but he also didn't want her to miss out on a fun night with her friends either – so she ended up going.

When she was at the dance and sitting next to Delly and Madge, she took out her phone and sent Peeta quick text.

"_I still wish you were here_."

Peeta texted back saying, "_I know. I do too. Tell you what...you and I will have our __**own**__ special night tomorrow, okay?"_

"_Down by the lake?_" came the response.

"_I was actually thinking we found ourselves __**another**__ special place_," was his answer. "_We can still go the lake of course, but I thought it would be fun to have more than one special place._"

Katniss texted saying, "_That sounds good. What time should I meet you then?"_

A smile crossed Peeta's face as he replied, "_How about a little before six?_"

"_Six it is_."

It was then that something occurred to Peeta and gave him an idea of just _where_ he could take Katniss tomorrow night. He wasn't sure why he was just thinking of it now, but he was glad he was because he had no doubt it would make the _perfect_ special place for him and his sweetheart.

"_I actually know where I'd like to take you tomorrow_," Peeta texted.

"_Really? That was fast...what made you decide so quickly?_"

"_I don't want to spoil too much but...you still don't know what my favourite __**color**__ is yet, do you?_"

Her confused reply came back as, "_What's that got to do with it?_"

"_You'll see_," he texted back. "_But I can tell you this much...you __**won't **__be disappointed_."

With that in mind, he put his phone back on his bedside table and then with the pleasant thought of where he'd be taking Katniss tomorrow...his mind silently drifted off to the world of dreams. What he first saw while he was dozing off was a glowing light and then the harder he focused, the more he realized where he was and what was happening – he was at the school dance with Katniss. When he looked himself over – as if an invisible mirror had magically appeared – he saw that he was dressed formally in a black tux, his blond hair was slicked back, and his blue eyes looked brighter than ever. Just as quickly, he refocused his attention on the surrounding lights.

The flashing light he was seeing was the disco ball above which caused a shimmer of bright glitter that danced from the ceiling. He took a moment to observe the dimly lit room and listen to the loud, blaring music that bounced off the walls. Hundreds of students stood gathered around while chatting casually and as he searched for one person in particular, he spotted her off to the right. At a first glance, she completely took his breath away. Hugging her body as if the material had been designed only for her was a dress that was covered head to toe in sparkling gems of ruby red, sunshine yellow, pallid white and hints of royal blue.

"_She's not pretty or even beautiful. She's as radiant as the sun..." _thought Peeta in awe.

She was sitting with Delly and Madge and looked to be having a good time. The three were laughing and smiling and he could only wonder what they were talking about. It occurred to him that Katniss might not even be able to see him, what with it being a dream and all, but when she turned her head and saw him, her eyes instantly fell on him. The two stared in the direction of the other and as if a hush were coming over the crowd and he and Katniss were the only two people in the room, a slow song came over the speakers.

The oddest thing then happened. The moment the new song started to play, every person that was present moved off to the side as if this particular song were meant for _**them**_ and _**them only.**_ All Peeta could do was look to each of them with a look of confusion and excitement and when they all nodded their heads together, he knew for sure that this song was _his_ and _Katniss's._ She must have known it too because without saying a word to Madge or Delly, she got up and made her way towards Peeta, who started making his way towards her as well.

When the two were standing only a few feet apart, he held out his hand, gave her a warm smile and whispered, "May I have this dance?"

She took his hand and with a smile of her own, answered, "Of course..."

They were the only ones in the center of the room and as Peeta glanced around, he was surprised to see that every person that had been there just seconds ago...was now gone. Where they'd gone to, he wasn't sure but now that meant that he and Katniss truly were alone and could now let the beauty and words of the song create them a world all for their own. Neither was familiar with the song but it was one they'd soon grown to love. The title of the song was Safe and Sound and the artist was Taylor Swift. As the two held each other close and swayed slowly and silently to the melody of the song, a world of their own was indeed created.

She was pressed up against him with her arms around his neck and his arms wrapped around her waist; they were as close as either could wish to be. As the music continued, they moved slowly and delicately while keeping their eyes only on the others. Not a step was missed as they rotated from side to side and when Katniss saw Peeta leaning in and lowering his gaze to her lips, she felt her heart beating faster at the desire of wanting his lips on hers. She moved in, closed her eyes and just like with every kiss that was shared between them, both felt a spark ignite inside them like a rising fire that spread all throughout their bodies and gave them the most incredible feeling.

Peeta wanted this dream to last a lifetime. He never wanted to leave, never wanted to have to say goodbye to this moment. The song had brought them to a world where there was no fear of ever losing the other, and no fear of anyone _splitting them apart_. In this world, there was an atmosphere of only love and peacefulness.

"I_ love_ this song," Katniss whispered and nuzzled her head into Peeta's neck. As always, she felt the warmth of his skin wash all over her as he brought his hand up to head and gently ran his fingers through her hair. He was just as lost in the moment as she was.

"_I know_," he whispered back. "_I do too_..."

"This could be _our_ song," Katniss suggested, lifting her head up from his neck and staring into his eyes. "A song for _you_ and _me_..."

"Okay, sweetheart," said Peeta, and brought his lips once more to hers.

Just then, the two looked up and saw the light from the disco ball winking out. All around them the room grew dark, but the two never stopped dancing. They continued to sway back and forth and wouldn't stop doing so till the song had come to an end. Without even realizing it, the walls around them were starting to vanish. Before they knew it, the entire room had gone blank and all that met their eyes was nothing but a white light and...

Peeta opened his eyes and saw he was back in his room. He rubbed his eyes and glanced over to his window and saw that it was still dark out. He was hoping it would be morning already because he was dying to show Katniss the special place he'd seen just a few nights ago in one of his dreams. It had come to him the final night he'd been in the hospital and when he awoke, he was lucky it had stayed with him because the place was downright beautiful. Not only would they have the lake to call their own special place, they'd have _this one_ as well.

The last thought that entered his mind before he dozed off again was, "_She's gonna love it!_"

The next day, Peeta woke up early, changed into a clean t-shirt and jeans, threw on a hoodie and made his way downstairs for breakfast. Already at the table was Ryder, Jordix and his mother and father. He watched them for a brief second and let his mind drift back to before he'd been shot and back to a time when breakfast for the Mellark family was nothing but awkward and quiet. Apart from Peeta and his father – who had always been close – there hadn't been much of a bond between he and his mother, or his two brothers either. But now...the Mellark family was growing closer with everyday and it made Peeta feel blessed because all his life all he'd ever wanted was for his family to be close and love one another like families should.

After he'd eaten two deliciously made pancakes (which he'd coated with syrup and strawberries), he spent the rest of the day hanging out with Ryder while waiting for later to come when he'd take Katniss to 'the special place.' The two had decided to go to a movie and it was the first time the two had ever gone to a movie where it was just the two of them. They gorged on popcorn to the point where they thought their stomachs might burst, but the stuff was so buttery and good that neither could stop eating, even when Ryder had gone out to get a refill. The movie was gory and as gross a film as Peeta had ever seen and once or twice he almost had to look away. He thought he'd be tough enough to handle a bit of blood and gore, but not even thirty minutes into the movie and his eyes were already wide.

Ryder saw this and chuckled, "Too scary for you, bro?"

"A little," Peeta admitted. "Man this is gross. I didn't think it'd be this..._detailed_. Next movie we see it's gonna be a comedy..."

"Alright," Ryder agreed. "Next movie we see you'll be laughing, not cringing. Promise."

"Gee, thanks Ryder," said Peeta sarcastically, but with a smile.

"No problem, little bro," said Ryder with a grin. He held out the popcorn and asked, "Want some more?"

"No way, man," said Peeta, shaking his head. "I'll burst if I eat anymore."

"Well, if you _do_ start to feel sick," said Ryder, and then couldn't help but laugh as he joked, "Just make sure not to get it on _me_, okay?"

"Ryder!" Peeta whispered loudly, but Ryder was still chuckling under his breath. Peeta was about to reply that he just _might_ consider throwing up on him, when one of the ushers – an older man – appeared beside them with his arms crossed.

The guy cleared his throat and grumbled, "Could you two _please _keep it down?" By the tone of his voice, he sounded a little more than peeved and looked like he was a generally cranky fella who rarely smiled.

"Sorry," said Ryder quietly. "Won't happen again, sir!"

The man looked at them a moment longer, then turned and walked down the aisle and out the door on the far left. Peeta and Ryder looked to each other and fighting the urge to start laughing – they did so silently in their own heads. Peeta had never imagined to have so much fun with his older brother and couldn't wait for summer to come so the two could hang out whenever they wanted.

"_This new Ryder is __**awesome**_," thought Peeta. "_Sucks that we couldn't have __**always**__ been this great of friends but I'm just __**so**__ glad we're friends __**now**__ and hanging out_."

When the movie was over and the two were back home, Peeta checked the time and saw it was five-thirty. He had half an hour to get Katniss and take her to the special place. It wasn't so much that he cared what time they got there, but he didn't want them to get there too late to miss what he wanted so badly for her to see. He was just about to open the front door when he turned and saw Ryder sitting at the kitchen table munching on a brownie. He remembered back to when he'd torn up his brother's baseball cards and how before then, Ryder had went downstairs to get some brownies, but had told Peeta to get his own because he wasn't sharing. Now whenever Ryder would have a treat in his hands, he would _always_ ask if Peeta wanted some of it.

"Have fun with Katniss tonight," said Ryder. "I'm sure she's gonna love what you got planned. Sounds like it's gonna be a good time."

"Thanks, Ryder," said Peeta. "I hope she does."

"She will," he said reassuringly, and gave Peeta a wink. "Count on it."

Peeta looked at his brother for a second longer, and that's when Ryder asked him a question that he hadn't expected him to. It didn't catch him completely off guard, but it made Peeta wonder if there was a lot more going on in Ryder's head than he'd first assumed. He could also tell by the tone in his voice that he was lacking a _lot_ of confidence in himself.

He'd been staring at the brownie in his hand while lost in his thoughts, when he slowly set it back on the table and said quietly, "Peeta, do you think I'll ever..._find someone_?"

"What do you mean?" asked Peeta.

"A-A _girl_ I mean," said Ryder, as if embarrassed he was even throwing the question out there. "You and Katniss just seem _so_ happy together that I...I've been wondering what it would be like to have someone in _my_ life, you know? You guys do everything together and seeing the fun you two have makes me feel kind of..._**lonely.**_"

This left Peeta silent for the longest time. He dropped his gaze to the floor and replayed Ryder's words in his head as if wanting to find the exact right thing to tell him. He was starting to think more and more that all those times in the past when Ryder had spoken so cockily and superiorly, it wasn't because he truly felt as smug and proud as he'd like to have believed...it was because of how _**insecure**_ he was of his own self. To make up for this, he'd put on a big show and went on boasting like he was the greatest person alive but what nobody was aware of was that he knew all too well that he was _far_ from it.

When Peeta had found his answer, he told Ryder truthfully, "You know what I think, Ryder? I think you deserve a _lot_ more credit than you're giving yourself. The minute you found out I was alive in that hospital and that I was going to make it, you instantly became a different person; I'm not exaggerating. I haven't been home for even half a month and you're asking if I need any help decorating the cakes, if I want to play video games with you, if I want to make cheese buns with you...and guess what? You know what you've turned into, Ryder?"

Ryder didn't answer. He only kept staring at Peeta as if hanging onto every word he was telling him because all his life, he _really had_ admired and looked up to his little brother. Though he'd always been secretly envious and jealous of Peeta because of how well he did in school, how well-liked he was, how the odds of him finding a girl were much greater than his own, deep down...he _had_always admired his younger brother. But the shell of hatred that he'd buried himself so deeply in had made it difficult for him to break out of and try and become the great person that Peeta was. For seventeen years he'd been trapped in his own spiteful world and now finally, at long last...he was _leaving_ that world behind him and _entering_ the world he'd always _**dreamed**_ of becoming a part of - and that was a world where he could follow in the footsteps of his brother and become someone..._**extraordinary.**_

It was then that he was truly beginning to appreciate just how _great_ of a guy Peeta was and how he could convince even someone as self-doubting as himself that he was a better person than he considered himself to be.

"Remember when you told me how you thought of _me_ as one of the greatest guys you'd ever known?" Peeta was now standing beside his brother who looked up at him anxiously. He gave his older brother a smile, put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Well...now I think _you're_ one of the greatest guys I could ever know. And I _know _that you'll find yourself a girl, or maybe _she'll_ find _you_...but you'll _definitely_ find her, Ryder."

He wondered if this _was_ in fact true and that perhaps there _was _a girl out there who'd see him as not the trouble-making, irritating slug he'd once been known as...but as a changed and genuinely decent guy. All his life, he'd grown up being a pretty handsome fellow but no one ever gave him a second glance because of his despicable attitude. No one ever saw past the chocolate brown eyes or thick blond hair that fell in front of them; all they saw was a guy that did nothing but hate, scoff and make fun of everything and anything he stumbled upon. But not anymore.

"_Really_?" asked Ryder, surprised, and couldn't help the smile forming on his lips. "Y-you think _I'm_ a great guy?"

"Sure do," said Peeta, and the honesty in his voice was all but palpable. "The way I see it, people can _always_ change for the better. Some might take a bit longer than others, but the important thing is that they come around eventually, right?"

Ryder shook his head as if amazed by Peeta's thoughtful words and said, "Has anyone ever told you how _persuasive _you are with words?"

Peeta shrugged casually and smiled, "A few."

"Well, you're very persuasive," said Ryder. "If there's one thing you could do as a living besides becoming an _**artist**_...it's becoming a _**writer**_."

Peeta chuckled and said, "Maybe, but I could always teach you a few tricks too, you know?"

Ryder waved his hand and said dismissively, "I'm sure you could...but I've got _way_ too much stuff on my plate right now. I uh...I kind of have to start focusing on school, you know? Not exactly doing so well right now and I'd _really _like to make it the twelfth grade."

"Hey," said Peeta quickly. "If you ever need help with any homework, just let me know. Katniss might even be able to give you a hand in math; she's the one who's been helping me since school started. Don't know how she manages to get almost straight A's, but she's the _best._"

"But you're both in grade ten," said Ryder. "How can you help me with grade eleven math?"

"Oh, I'm _sure_ Katniss would find some way to understand it," was Peeta's response. "She's pretty smart you know."

"I _could_ _really_ use some help," Ryder admitted. "Thanks, bro. And I know this doesn't really compare to how you'd be helping me, but I don't mind giving you some tips with gaming." He then laughed and said, "Then you and I could team up and kick Jordix's butt..._big time_. He's beaten me way too many times but you and me...I bet we could take 'em."

Peeta let out a laugh and said, "Sure, I could use some tips." He then added, "Oh, and if you ever want some advice when it comes to telling a certain girl how much you love them...talk to Dad."

"_Dad_?" Ryder blurted out. "Really...?"

Peeta nodded and said, "He's the one that gave _me_ advice before I went and talked to Katniss. He told me the most thing is to let someone know that _you're_ there for them and to never stop doing that unless they've asked to stop seeing you, or if they just don't feel the same way. Other than that..._always_ let them know that you're there."

"Hmm...sounds like Dad's quite the expert with all things to do with love, eh?" said Ryder. "He must have seen and done it _all_ when he was a kid..."

"Maybe," said Peeta. "Guess I'd better head out then; don't wanna be late."

"Peeta?"

"Yeah, Ryder?"

"Thank you for...for saying all that to me," he said as sincerely as possible. "I guess I _was_ being a bit hard on myself but everything you just said to me made me feel a...a _whole_ lot better. I _**really**_ appreciate it, Peeta."

"Don't mention, it Ryder," was Peeta's answer. "We've got each other's back, remember?"

"_Right_," said Ryder, and with a final smile, he got up out of chair and walked off to see what Jordix was doing.


	23. A Song and a Sunset

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. I'm just mentioning it in the story.**

Chapter 23: A Song and a Sunset

Feeling pleased that he'd been able to help his brother, Peeta opened the front door, stepped out and turned down onto the street and quickly made his way to Katniss's. Though it was the first week of December, snow hadn't yet started to fall but Peeta couldn't _wait _till the grounds were covered in the familiar, sparkling white. It was still fairly warm, and there was no sign of a breeze in the air, but he knew winter would be here soon enough. There was nothing he liked better than gazing up at the sky and catching snowflakes on his tongue. He knew winter wasn't everyone's favourite season since most hated the freezing weather, getting sick, losing power because of a snowstorm and having to shovel, but he loved watching the snow fall from inside the house while sitting by a warm fire with a mug of hot chocolate in his hands. He especially liked adding marshmallows and just a hint of minty flavour to his frothy drink, and made a mental note to himself to make some for Katniss on a cold winter's night. He also put it in his mind that sometime later in the month, he'd have to take Katniss back to their new special place so they could admire the view while snowflakes fell like raindrops from the sky.

When he arrived at her house, he saw that she was waiting on the front steps for him. When she saw him walking up to her, she hurried down and joined him as they both started off down the street.

"So where's this special place we're going to?" she asked curiously.

"You'll see," said Peeta. "It's about a twenty minute walk from here so we should make it in time to see the _show_. That's why I made sure to get to your house when I did; didn't want to be late and miss the show."

"_Show_?"

"Yeah," said Peeta, and added excitedly. "I've seen them plenty of times but I wanted to show you it too, in case you've never seen one before."

"Well, I'm _really_ interested to see it," she said, sounding intrigued. "Sounds like it's pretty special."

"Oh, it is," he agreed. "And it's gonna look even greater because of where we're gonna be sitting. We'll have the _perfect view_..."

The twenty minutes it took to get there, Katniss found herself following Peeta through the woods, across streams, over fallen logs and then finally to a spot where the woods ended and beyond that...the _special place_ was waiting for them. After having hiked through the woods and wondering just what kind of place he intended on taking them to, she now understood and it made absolute sense why Peeta would think to call this their second special place, after the lake by the school.

Peeta had brought her to a vast hilltop that looked down onto a gorgeous valley that stretched out beneath them for endless miles. Standing on the edge, she could look down and see the hundreds of towering trees, twisting rivers that snaked every which way and even the tiny houses that looked so hidden from above. It was a breathtakingly grand view that until now, she'd never had the pleasure of gazing upon. Never had she been able to look down on something so beautiful and if not for Peeta, she never would have found such an amazing view. What _truly_ made the place special though was a huge tree that stood off to their right and it was a tree that Katniss had only ever heard about. It was a cherry blossom tree that stood a good twenty or thirty feet tall and its leaves were the most stunning shade of pink she'd ever laid eyes on. She stared for a solid minute at the dazzling tree before slowly making her way over to it.

Peeta followed quietly behind and when she was directly under it, she lifted her head and looked up. One of the petals was slowly falling towards her and within seconds, it had landed directly on her head. Peeta chuckled lightly and gently took the leaf off her head and held it up to get a closer look.

Finally, Katniss murmured, "It's beautiful here..."

"Isn't it?" said Peeta, also in a murmur. "You don't get a better view than way up here."

"What was the show you wanted me to see?" she asked, more curious than ever.

Peeta briefly checked his watch and then said with a nod, "Time's just about right; let's sit down."

Once the two were seated side by side under the cherry blossom tree, Peeta looked out beyond the edge and out at the sky. The sky was just starting to turn the palest of orange and the sun was slowly starting its gradual descent down from the sky and towards the ground.

"So when does the show start?" she asked.

"I hope you don't mind being here for a few hours," said Peeta, not taking his eyes off the sky.

"How come?" she asked, puzzled. "Is it not starting for a while?"

Peeta smiled and said, "No...it's already starting. Don't you see the color in the sky? It's a sunset, Katniss. _This_ is what I wanted to show you."

"Oh," she said, now realizing what he meant. She then thought of something and asked him, "Wait...yesterday you mentioned your favourite color and this place having to do with that? So what is your favourite color then?"

"_Orange_," he said softly.

"Orange?" she asked. "Like bright orange?"

"A bit more muted," said Peeta. "More like..._**sunset**_. Like _this one_ here..."

She nodded and returned her attention to the orange glow in the sky. It was a relaxing feeling to know that there was no rush at all and no worry of having to be somewhere. The sun felt the same way; there was no rush and it could take all its time in the world before finally reaching the ground. All that mattered was sitting there quietly and enjoying the company of one another's arms as they watched the gleaming, radiant orange light up the sky. It really was a wonderful view and Katniss knew that she'd be coming here many more times with Peeta. Just as the lake had become, this too would become a special place to call their own.

Two hours into the sunset, Peeta almost forget something he'd brought along with him. Ever since he'd had his dream the previous night, he'd had the song stuck in his head and he couldn't wait to share it with Katniss. Out of his pocket, he pulled out his iPod and held it out in front of them while turning it on.

"I know I wasn't at the dance," he told her. "But one of the songs came to me in a dream."

"Really?" she asked surprised. "You sure it wasn't just some random song that popped into your head?"

"No," was Peeta's answer. "Delly had gone to it and said the song _had_ played there."

When he found the song and was about to press play, Katniss asked, "What's the song called?"

Peeta smiled and said, "_Safe and Sound_." He then added, "I kept hearing it over and over and the more I listened to it, the more I thought that maybe this can be _our_ song."

The song had barely begun playing and already Peeta could tell Katniss was enjoying it. She'd closed her eyes while letting the song play through her head and enjoying it just as much, he closed his as well. He didn't know why, but he found he absorbed the song much better when his eyes were shut and in this particular moment, he was beginning to realize the song held an incredible amount of truth in regards to both his and Katniss's life. It was like the song was describing their relationship, everything they'd been through and the cunning, invisible shadow that loomed over them almost constantly. Both he and Katniss felt quite similarly in how it related to their lives and it made the song seem so much more meaningful and powerful.

Once the song had finished playing, Katniss said, "That should _definitely_ be out song."

"Want to hear it again?" said Peeta.

She gave a silent nod and a few seconds later, the song was playing once again. Peeta made sure to put the song on 'repeat' so they could go on listening to it as much as they wanted. It sounded even lovelier more beautiful the second time around, as if the words were specifically saying to _them_ that everything would be alright and that they would indeed...end up _safe and sound._ It was a comforting thought to think that such a song could have the kind of impact it was having on them right now. Peeta felt he could lie there for hours with his eyes closed, just listening to the song over and over as if wanting it to be never-ending.

When the song had finished for the second time, Peeta noticed Katniss was now sitting with her legs crossed and gazing out at the view. When he observed her more carefully, he saw a dark, familiar look in her eyes that he wished could just leave her alone – but what he feared was that it would _never_ be leaving her alone. It would always find a way to creep back into her conscious, bury itself there and then do all it could to bother and upset her. It was like what the hawk had done to Peeta so many times not that long ago, which was finding its way into his mind and then causing him so much fear and pain that it felt like spears were getting thrown into his chest.

He moved closer to her and putting an arm around her shoulder, he asked gently, "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer right away. She only kept her eyes on the setting sun and the glorious shade of orange that now made of the sky. When at last she spoke, her voice was hollow and empty, as if the real Katniss had been taken someplace else and left in its place all but an empty soul.

"I don't want to lose you."

Peeta put his other arm around her, pulled her in close to him and whispered, "I'm not going anywhere, Katniss."

"I know, but—" and here she couldn't stop the tears from falling. "I-I just keep seeing pictures of you getting shot...and thinking how close you were to...to leaving me."

He put one of his hands on her cheek and caressing it softly, he reassured her, "I'm right here, though, sweetheart. I know it's hard to forget about what happened but, we have to try and do all we can to put in the back of our minds and think about tomorrow. We've got a whole future ahead of us, right?"

"Yeah, we do," she said, but dropped her gaze once more. "But I still can't stop thinking about it...about _losing_ you again." Her voice lowered to a whisper as she murmured, "I _can't_ lose you, Peeta."

"You won't, Katniss," he said, and took both her face into his. "I promise that we'll be together and if anything does happen to ever come our way...then we'll face it together."

She nodded silently, and then Peeta added, "Remember when you asked me to stay with you, and I told you always?"

"Yeah," she said so quietly that he could barely hear it.

"Well, I'm still going to do all I can to _keep_ that promise," said Peeta. "Whatever it takes, I'll do my best to make sure that you and I stay together."

Katniss turned her gaze from the sun's glow and focused them on Peeta's eyes; they looked so much brighter of a shade of blue than she'd ever noticed. As she stared into them, she saw the calmness and serenity that she'd so often seen, but she could also see the fear and dread that reflected off her own eyes and into his. It was focusing all her attention on his eyes and how tranquil they seemed to be that she felt the fluttering she'd felt inside her so many times. But unlike before, the stirring she now felt building inside her was so unbelievably strong and full of emotion that all she wanted was for it to consume her and let it fill her completely.

It was then that Peeta whispered to her. He remembered so long ago when the two had been done by the lake for the first time, and how he'd asked Katniss to sing the Valley song for him. She hadn't gotten even halfway through the song until realized just how much he was in love with her. There was something he'd thought to himself, but hadn't actually mentioned it to Katniss. But as he sat there beside her on that hilltop with the crimson sun behind them...he couldn't think of a better time to tell her.

In a whisper, he told her, "I wish I could freeze this moment, _right here_, _right now_ and _live in it __**forever**_."

She answered almost instantly with a whisper of, "_Me too_..."

She put her forehead against his and kept it there for only a moment before the stirring inside her was to the point where all she could feel was...the unmistakable feeling of _**desire.**_ She'd first felt it when she'd looked into his eyes but now being pressed up against him, the hunger that she now felt was almost too great to ignore. So she slowly moved in towards his lips and sensing this, Peeta tilted his head and leaned in to meet her and then only seconds later – their lips had met the other's. Like with every kiss they shared, the rising flames that burned within them seemed to only blaze higher whenever this lips came together. As Katniss brushed her lips against his, all she could think about was the warmth and softness of his lips and how she _never_ wanted to leave them.

"_Peeta_..." she murmured, to which he responded with a soft groan of, "_Katniss..._"

She took his face in both her hands and deepened the kiss by gently sucking on his bottom lip, which caused a soft, but passionate moan to escape his lips. Hearing him moan was a sound that only made the desire inside her spread like wildfire and as the flames burned hotter, she found herself wanting Peeta _more_ and _more_. She knew she wasn't even close to being ready to take things all the way with him, but she wasn't going to ignore the rising flames either; they were flames that had to be dealt with and the only way that could be done...was to fulfill any desires she had at the moment for Peeta Mellark.

She continued to suck on his lip and when she just about to start running her fingers through his hair, she felt him opening his mouth slightly and feeling more desire than ever before...she slowly but eagerly entered his mouth. At once, their tongues met in what felt like the wildest dance either had ever experienced. The feeling of Peeta's wet, slippery tongue sliding against her own sent shivers down her spine. It was then that the sensation of being _this_ close to him overtook any fears and worries she'd previously felt and there was one thing she knew for sure – and that was that her love for the boy with the bread was only _growing._

When their lips finally separated, both were slightly out of breath from the fiery embrace of their tongues. By now, Katniss was sitting comfortably in his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist and her long arms locked around his neck while Peeta's were cupping her face. They kept their heads pressed against one another while keeping their eyes closed as if wanting to block out any doubts or fears that might try and invade on their intimate moment. All they wanted to focus on was each other, the silence and the setting of the sun behind them.

Finally, Katniss said, "Peeta?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her expectantly.

"Can I..._ask_ you something?" she said, and he saw her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. He hadn't seen her blush like that in quite a while, so his mind was automatically thinking, "What's going through her mind?"

"Of course," said Peeta, and started to caress her cheek. "_Anything_."

She remained silent for only a few seconds, took a quiet breath and asked, "I was wondering if you could...if you..." but she was feeling suddenly nervous at getting the words out, and closed her mouth. Peeta kept his eyes on her and then gave a small, genuine smile at sending how timid she was at whatever it is she wanted to ask of him.

"It's _okay_, sweetheart," he assured her. "Whatever it is, you can ask me. You don't have to feel shy; you can ask me _anything _in the world."

Hearing this calmed her down a bit, so she took another quiet breath, looked him in the eye while trying not to let the small trace of nervousness show in her voice, and asked, "Can you..._**touch me**_?"

Peeta stared at her and his eyed widened ever so slightly, but he only smiled, nodded and then asked in a gentle tone, "Where would you like me to touch you?"

Katniss didn't answer. She didn't want to reveal where she wanted him to touch her by _telling_ him, so without a word, she quickly removed the sweater she was wearing, and then grabbed the bottom of her shirt and slowly began pulling it up. Because she was still sitting in Peeta's lap, she felt that as soon as that shirt and eventually her bra were off, she'd get struck with such a sense of self-consciousness that all she'd want is to snatch the shirt and put it right back on. But she _**trusted**_ Peeta more than _anyone_ and knew that he would never judge, criticize or say a single negative thing about her body. It was knowing this that she was able to decide that she _did _want to feel Peeta's warm hands touching her intimately and to know that he loved her _just _the way she was.

Peeta watched her in silence; his eyes never left her for even a second. They were glued to her shirt which was now almost up and off of her and he couldn't help wonder and imagine what it would be like to see his Katniss Everdeen almost naked in front of him. Both he and Katniss had agreed long ago that they would take their relationship slow, and not rush into things which they certainly weren't. They were taking their time getting to know the other's body while not going ahead and experimenting with all they _could_ be doing. _Slowly_ and _gradually_ getting familiar with the other's body was what they both felt comfortable with. But Peeta would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't _dreaming _and_ waiting _for the day when he could gaze upon his incredible woman and _all _that she was.

When at last her shirt was off and had been thrown in the grass, she now sat in his lap wearing only her bra, which was a light purple. Peeta locked his eyes on his, leaned in to kiss her on the lips and then when he pulled away, he lowered his eyes to her now almost completely exposed chest. She searched his face for some kind of expression, but she could find none. It was one of those rare times where as hard as she tried, she just couldn't guess at what might be going through Peeta's head.

"_I...I __**hope**__ he doesn't think I'm too __**small**_," she thought, feeling much insecurity over her breasts, which were a size 32A. "_I just hope he doesn't mind __too much_..."

After a few minutes of staring at the bra on her chest, Peeta lifted his head and asked softly, not wanting proceed without her full permission, "Can I...?"

Katniss only nodded, and Peeta carefully brought his hands behind her back and found the clasp to her bra. He moved his fingers while trying to undo it and just when he thought he'd have to ask Katniss to help him...he felt it come undone between his fingers. He held the bra in place for a moment longer while bringing his eyes back to Katniss's, whose eyes looked only into his, and nothing else's. He then slowly removed the bra from her chest – still staring lovingly into her eyes– and then dropped it on the ground next to them, along with her sweater and t-shirt. He couldn't believe that his Katniss Everdeen was now sitting in his lap exposed and uncovered and one glimpse and all but one word came to mind.

"_**Beautiful**_," he thought, admiring her in awe. "_Absolutely __**beautiful**_..."

After staring in amazement at her bare chest, he looked up and noticed her face was flushed with red and her eyes weren't on Peeta, but off to the side. He sensed right away that she was battling feelings of self-consciousness, so he instantly spoke up.

"Katniss?" he said quietly. He took his face in his hands again and tilted her head so she was forced to look nowhere but into his eyes. Once more, they looked so calm and blue and she found herself lost in them as if he were the only one that could make her feel that way. He then lowered his voice to a whisper while telling her, "You're **beautifu**l. Just _**beautiful**_..."

"But you...you don't mind how small I am?" she asked, confused. "I thought you might prefer them to be a bit—"

"Sweetheart," he said, and looked so deeply into her eyes that she for a second she thought her heart might actually burst. It was the pure _honesty_ in both his eyes and his voice that made her believe that he really did love her _just the way she was_. "I think you're so beautiful, and I don't want you to _ever_, _**ever **_change for anyone else. Okay?"

"Okay," she said quietly.

He then returned his attention to her small, but stunning breasts and wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch them, feel them and cup them in his hands. He gave her a silent look and she knew that he was ensuring that she _was_ in fact okay with it and when she nodded and gave a small smile, he then _knew _for sure that she was. He smiled in return and slowly but excitedly brought one of his hands to her breasts, going first to her left. He put his hand over it and gently began to caress it. He could tell she was enjoying the sensation of his hand on her breast because almost instantly her eyes closed and a small smile formed on his lips. He kept this up for a moment, and then grew a little bolder as he moved his fingers close to her nipple and just he was starting to rub the small bud between his finger, he heard Katniss give a sudden gasp in surprise.

"D-did I hurt you?" he asked quickly, and immediately removed his hand.

"No," she said, somewhat breathlessly. "That felt..._really good._ Can you do that again?"

He nodded and returned to rubbing the small bud between his fingers and Katniss had to keep from screaming out in pleasure at this new and pleasurable sensation. But she couldn't help give a little whimper of joy when he did something that only made the fire inside her grow even more intense – and that was bringing his _tongue_ onto one of her nipples and giving it a gentle lick. The loud moan he earned from Katniss was both rewarding and satisfying and wanting to give her the greatest pleasure possible, he gave her nipple a few more licks and then brought his entire mouth onto it and began to suck ever so gently. While he did this, he cupped her other breast in his hand and all he could think as he listened to her blissful cries was, "_I'm __**so happy**__ I can make you feel this good_. _You deserve every second of it_."

After a long while of him pleasuring her, the two were now lying on their backs while staring up at the orange-colored sky and still the song Safe and Sound hadn't stopped playing. It was a perfect atmosphere with just the right amount of stillness and tranquility.

"Peeta?" said Katniss quietly.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" he asked, just as quietly.

Once more she asked the question that she'd asked him so many times, as if she were hearing him answer it for the _first_ time..._every time._

"_Stay with me_?"

As always, Peeta responded with the one word he would forever respond with, and that was, "_**Always**_..."

The remained on the hilltop under the cherry blossom tree for hours after this and started making their way home just as it was getting dark. Peeta knew exactly where he was going and took them on the same route they'd taken to get there – over bubbling streams, down sloping hills, across fallen logs – and before they knew it they were on their way to Katniss's house. When he dropped her off, the two hugged for a long minute before pulling apart and that's when Peeta recalled something.

"The first snowflake you see," said Peeta with a smile. "If I haven't already called you, call me okay?"

"Okay," she said, and the chuckled and said, "What, you want to build a snowman?"

"_Yes_, actually," he said with a laugh, and then continued, "That...and I'd love for us to maybe go skating down by the lake. Shouldn't take too long for the lake to freeze up. And we could even go back to the hilltop and build our snowman _there_."

"Alright," said Katniss. "That sounds fun. I'll call you soon as I see it snowing."

He gave her a final hug and told her, "_love you_" before turning and heading back in the direction of his own home where he felt sure Ryder would be waiting to challenge him to yet another round at video games. That, _or_ he might be waiting for Peeta so the two could team up and take down the true gaming master, which was Jordix. Either way, he couldn't wait to tell him about his time on the hill and sit down to have some fun with him. He smiled to himself thinking that not that long ago, he'd come home with the lingering question of whether Ryder would hit him, punch him, try and wrestle him to the ground, spit in his face or go on calling him all the names he'd called him since they were young. But that was now a thing of the past. Coming home now was nothing but _enjoyable_ at knowing there was an eager brother waiting to hear all about his day and then make him laugh to the point where he'd almost pee himself.

That night, when he'd gotten into bed and under the covers, he was all set to nod off to dreamland when he took a sudden turn and before he realized what was happening – he was in the realm of nightmares. This time, his mind had taken him to Madderson High. He was standing in a lonely, deserted hallway and as he looked around in search for any people...he saw _no one._ There wasn't a teacher or student in sight which gave him the oddest feeling. Why would he be taken to a nightmare where _he _was the only one present?

He decided to cautiously make his way down the hall in search for familiar faces while waiting to wake up from this strange dream. At one point, he thought he heard the voice of Cato calling to him, but when he turned around he only saw the rows of lockers. Just as quickly, he heard Marvel laughing and ran towards the direction of his voice to get the same result..._no one._ Besides Cato and Marvel, he also heard the voice of Delly, but hers was so quiet that he wasn't entirely sure of where she might be.

That's when he heard yet _another_ voice, but this was one he didn't recognize because it was unfamiliar and one that he'd never heard before. He walked slowly down the hall, never taking his eyes off his surroundings in case something nasty could leap out at him. The voice called again, and as if Peeta were being forced and lured to follow it, he kept on walking.

"_**Peeta**_ _**Mellark**_."

Over and over, the voice went on saying his name. It wasn't a frightening voice, and didn't sound angry, or insane or even dangerous. That's when he heard a _second _voice and right away he could tell this one was much deeper than the first's.

"_**Peeta Mellark...**_"

When at last he'd gotten to the end of the hall and turned to his right...he saw who the two voices had come from. Standing down by the front doors of the school with their arms by their sides were two guys who looked much taller than himself and maybe a little older; he wondered if they might even be twelfth graders. Though they didn't look as alarming or menacing as Titus had, he still wouldn't want to know what it was like to go head to head with these guys.

One thing he didn't like was how they were guarding the doors because it gave him the frightening idea that those doors were his only chance of his escape...and they were _blocking_ them. One of them had short brown hair, brown eyes that appeared more black than brown but what stood out most about him was his _size._ He was huge and Peeta could only guess that this was a guy who spent hours at the gym, which would explain his impressive muscles which were about three times the size of his own.

The guy standing next to him was a bit shorter and less intimidating looking. His hair was the brightest color of blond Peeta had ever seen, his eyes were the brightest shade of green and there was an unmistakable grin tugging at the corners of his lips. Though he wasn't as strong or well-built as the guy beside him, Peeta _wouldn't_ want to have to go up against this guy because it was clear he was a fair bit stronger than himself. He figured he probably wouldn't stand a chance against _either _of these guys and hoped he'd never have to cross paths with them.

Once more they called his name and that's when Peeta realized something – their mouths weren't moving. It made them look all the more creepy as if they weren't even human but were instead demons resembling humans that had been sent from hell into this boy's nightmare.

"_**Peeta**_ _**Mellark**_."

But what was more nerve-wracking than their imposing strength...was the way they_ glared_ at him. They stared at him with such intensity that if looks could kill, than Peeta would have been dead the second he laid eyes on them. Their eyes were cold, calculating and unblinking and looked like they were plotting or scheming some wicked plan.

As Peeta watched them warily, all he could think was, "_**Who are these guys**__...and __**what do they want with me**__?_" Meanwhile, repeating over and over in his head as if it were the answer to his question were the names, "_**Brutus**_ and _**Gloss**_. _**Gloss**_ and _**Brutus**_..."


	24. The Arrival of Christmas Eve

Chapter 24: The Arrival of Christmas Eve

Only a week ago Peeta had been constantly wishing for winter to hurry up and arrive. He loved the warm weather of spring and the heat of the summers just as much as anyone else, but there were so many things he loved about winter that made him believe it _really was_ the most exciting season. First off, there was Christmas which he and pretty much everyone else agreed was hands down the single best time of the year. For him, though, Christmas hadn't been as enjoyable growing up as it should have been due to his family not having been very close over the years, and it usually ended up being a very quiet day where nobody said a whole lot. But since that was now a thing of the past, he could now look forward to spending Christmas with his father, mother, Ryder and Jordix...as a _family. _It would be the first time in sixteen years that he could enjoy the holiday with them where they could laugh and joke at dinner, watch the snow falling outside, bake sugar cookies and do nothing but sit down, get comfortable and watch Christmas shows for hours. It was something he'd always wanted over the years but knew it was only wishful thinking but now...it was _reality._

Luckily, he hadn't had long of a wait till snow was starting to fall and eventually, the grounds were left covered in blankets of sparkling white. The first snowfall hadn't officially started till two weeks into the month but it was now the fourth week of December and the outside world was covered entirely in white. It was also an exciting time not only because of the heavy snowstorm they'd _already_ gotten, but because it was finally the day he'd been so eagerly waiting for – Christmas Eve. He'd woken up that morning more lively and energetic than he'd been in a long while, and the day was only just starting. Ryder had woken up early as well and was equally excited because he and Peeta had agreed that they'd be the ones to get the tree all lit up and decorated. Their father and mother would get supper prepared, cooked and then laid out on the table while Jordix would spend his time baking gingerbread cookies; he was even considering whipping up an apple pie if there was time.

The decorations around the house had already been put up; the five of them had taken care of that the previous week. Huge wreaths had been hung on all the doors; the various lights along the sides of the house were of colors of red and green and there was even a six-foot-tall snowman with a black top hat and a broom in its arm by the front door that glowed a bright bluish color. Peeta loved the look of homes at Christmas because no two houses were ever alike; every household had its own unique set of decorations that made them stand out from all the rest.

After Ryder and Peeta had gone downstairs to collect the ornaments, lights and decorations, they carried all the heavy boxes upstairs and placed them in the center of the living room. There were about ten boxes in total and the majority of them held all the bulbs, ornaments, candy canes and strings of popcorn that would go on the tree.

"_Geez_, that's a lotof boxes," said Ryder, glancing from carton to carton while scratching his head. "I always forget how much stuff we actually have. Then come Christmas when we dig everything out it's like 'Oh yeah...so _that's_ how many we have.'"

"I know," Peeta agreed. "Shouldn't take too long to get them on the tree, though. There's two of us, so if we get going now we can probably have it done in an hour."

"Okay," said Ryder. "Let's get the lights on first then."

Peeta dug through each of the boxes till he'd found the ones with the lights, and then carefully started pulling them out and setting them on the couch. With Ryder's help, the two got them unravelled and then quickly checked to make sure the lights still worked before putting them on the tree. There wasn't a single light burnt out, so they each took an end of the string of lights and started making their way around the bottom of the tree. They eventually reached the middle of the tree and then at last, they'd gotten to the top. Ryder asked if he could put the tree topper on – which was an impressive star colored purely in gold – and when Peeta handed it up to him, Ryder had to get up on the arm of the couch and stand right on his tip toes just to try and reach the very top. The tree was roughly eight feet tall, and he fell just a few inches short and ended up nearly falling in the process, so Peeta offered to try and because he was about four inches taller than his brother and had longer arms, he was able to reach with no problem. He then climbed back down and stood next to Ryder as the two observed the hundreds of tiny lights and golden star now on the tree.

"Nice job, bro," said Ryder, giving him a pat on the back. "Wanna light her up?"

Peeta walked over, took the plug and the second he'd put it in the socket...the tree sparkled to life. There were both white lights and colored lights that included every color – reds, oranges yellows, blues, greens, and purples – there wasn't a color of the rainbow missing. It was breathtaking and Peeta would have stood there for hours just admiring it all if he hadn't heard Ryder rummaging through one of the larger boxes. It only took him a few seconds to find what he was looking for and once he'd found it, he carried it over and placed it directly under the tree where it sat out front; soon the presents would be piled up behind it. That wasn't all Ryder put under the tree though. He made his way back to the boxes, then back to the tree and went on doing this till he'd gotten all the things he'd wanted beneath the tree.

When he'd finished, a large Christmas village was now underneath sitting on fake, glittering snow and circling its way around the village was the train set they'd kept for ten long years. Though the train set was fairly old, it was still in great condition and the whistle still worked perfectly.

"So what do you think?" asked Ryder, putting his hands on his hips. "Looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

"It looks _awesome_," said Peeta. "I think the house is gonna look better than it's looked in years."

"Probably," Ryder agreed, "If we get all the decorations out, it definitely will. Can't wait till we're all done though because I'm _dying_ to have some cookies...and pie."

Peeta laughed and said, "You'd eat cookies and pie this early in the morning?"

"Of course," was Ryder's quick answer. "Never too early for treats, Peeta. Those things can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch _and_ supper."

"Well," said Peeta, crouching down and digging his hands through one of the smallest boxes. "Let's finish up here first and then we'll go downstairs and get something to eat." He held up the long, thin strands of golden tinsel and asked, "Can you help me put the tinsel on?"

"Sure."

Once the tinsel was up and covering the tree from top to bottom, the two moved on to the ornaments, which took the most amount of time since they had about fifty in total to put up. A couple were so tiny and delicate that they could fit right in their hands and a few were much larger in size and yet were light as a feather. Some of the bulbs were fruit-shaped and had the forms of apples, pears, grapes and peaches with colors so vivid anyone might guess they were real as opposed to just being decorations. Others glittered like gems with stripes and polka-dots and yet some were plain with no decorations, but still looked just as lovely hanging on the branches of the tree. When every bulb and decoration had been hung, there were: angels, candy canes, miniature wreaths, gift boxes, snowflakes and tons of icicles. In a word, the tree was _**stunning**_ and both Peeta and Ryder felt they'd done a pretty decent job.

They also made sure to decorate the mantel over the fireplace with garland, a large wreath with a red bow and a collection of Christmas bears that each wore a Santa hat and held a wrapped present in its paws. The mantel was always a place in the house that looked magnificent when it was all done up and this year it looked just as splendid.

Now that all the decorations had been put up and the living room was practically as dazzling as it was going to get, Peeta was suddenly liking the idea of heading downstairs and grabbing something to eat. He wasn't sure if he'd chow down on cookies through, as that wasn't really something he ever did so early in the morning because he'd usually just get sick, but he was definitely in the mood for _something_ with a bit of sweetness. He was about to turn and make his way down, when he heard Ryder calling and telling him to 'wait."

"I want to give you your present early," he explained, and reached into one of the empty boxes.

Peeta watched him curiously, but said quickly, "You don't have to give it to me now, Ryder. I can wait till tomorrow and—"

"I know," said Ryder and walked up to Peeta while keeping his hands behind his back. "But I _want_ to give it to you now."

"Yeah, but you don't have to—"

"Aw, come on, Peeta," Ryder insisted. "You can open up at least _one_ present, right?"

Peeta thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright. _One_ present though..." He then took the small, almost weightless box from Ryder and looked it over inquisitively while setting it in the palm on his hand. The box was red with yellow stripes and tied with a skinny green ribbon. He put his fingers on the ribbon and slowly pulled and setting it down on the table, he then returned his attention to the box. He lifted the top off and when he saw what was inside, he knew right away that it was a present that Ryder had made _himself_; it wasn't a gift he'd gone and bought at the store. It was a thing he'd clearly put together all on his own.

It was a round bulb that was painted sunset orange and written in black letters around it were the words, "_World's Best Brother_." It wasn't very heavy, which explained why the box had felt so light in his hand. He figured Ryder must have done this a week or so ago to ensure he got it painted and ready to give to him for Christmas. And though his brother's painting abilities had never been quite as remarkable or skilled as Peeta's, he was _extremely_ _grateful_. The simple fact that his brother had taken the time to make him something as lovely as this made him realize just _how much_ Ryder had changed since his return from the hospital. Each day, Peeta would awake to find his brother more considerate and pleasant than the last and he was thankful that this guy was his own _**brother**_, as well as his friend.

"Thanks, Ryder," said Peeta sincerely. "That was nice of you to do that."

"That's what family's for, little bro," said Ryder, putting an arm around Peeta and giving him a friendly clap him on the shoulder. "Sorry the paintings not exactly...perfect. Wish I was an expert like you."

"No worries, man," said Peeta. "Just the fact that you made me this is special enough. I'm gonna see if I can put it somewhere near the top—" and he walked up to the tree while holding the bulb out in front of him. He scanned the tree for a short minute before finding a lone branch up next to the shining golden star. He got up on the arm of the couch, raised his arm and then soon Ryder's bulb was dangling alongside all the other ornaments.

When he and Ryder were standing in front of the tree again and staring up at the colourful bulb, Peeta told him, "That looks great, Ryder. I'm gonna put that on the tree every year."

"Glad you like it," was Ryder's answer. "So now that we've got everything done here, wanna go get something to eat?"

Peeta only nodded, turned around and the two were about to hurry downstairs to go searching the cupboards when Jordix entered the room shaking his head.

"Don't got a bulb for me, Ryder?" he asked, pretending to sound overly upset.

"U-uh, no, I was gonna make one for you two," Ryder explained. "I just thought I'd give Peeta his present early since he hasn't been home for that long. Your present's already under the tree. See? Over by the big red one?"

"I'm just teasin' ya," said Jordix jokingly, who glanced up at the bulb and remarked, "Nice job, little bro. What's the writing say?"

"_World's Greatest Brother_," Ryder smiled.

Jordix nodded and said, "Perfect. Anyway, I'm gonna get started on the apple pie; figured I'd make that first and then get the cookies going later. You guys wanna help?"

"_**Yes**_!" said Ryder eagerly and was already making his way towards the stairs. Jordix laughed and followed after him, with Peeta quickly following behind him. When they'd gotten downstairs, they saw that every room was lit up down here as well. There were just as many lights glowing, candles scattered about and hung up on a few of the walls were tinier versions of the giant wreath on their front door outside.

When they got in the kitchen, they noticed that Jordix had all the materials and ingredients already laid out on the counter and ready to be used. Everything was there – the apples which had been peeled and cored, lemon juice, sugar, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon and the butter. Both Peeta and Ryder were excited, since apple pie had always been one of their favourite desserts at Christmas but Ryder was by far the most excited. He couldn't wait to once more be hit with the familiar smell of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar that wafted through the house like some breeze of sweetness. His mind quickly went back to the time where he'd try and eat as much of the pie as he could simply so Peeta wouldn't get even two pieces. He hated himself for having ever done that, but he convinced himself that there was nothing to feel upset about anymore because anything _obnoxious_ and _unpleasant_ he'd ever done had been _forgiven_ by his little brother. He realized it was one of many reasons why Peeta _really_ was the world's greatest brother – the fact that he didn't hold a grudge against someone who'd been as nasty as Ryder.

When they were just setting the timer for fifty minutes and getting the pie in the oven, Ryder looked at Peeta and asked, "So, Katniss is coming over tomorrow?"

"Yeah, she's spending Christmas morning with her family and then she's gonna spend some time here for the afternoon. She's got some relatives coming over so she wants to be with them for a bit first. I think she said they might be staying for a week, till New Year's."

"Hey," said Ryder, who'd thought of an idea. "Wanna go sledding while the pie's cooking? We've got two awesome crazy carpets out in the shed that I've been using since I was a kid. They're wicked."

"Okay," said Peeta, then asked Jordix," Wanna come?"

"Thanks, but I'll stay here," said Jordix. "I'm gonna see if I can get an early start on those cookies."

"Well, if you change your mind, we'll be out back," said Ryder.

"Have fun," said Jordix with a grin. "Don't hurt yourself. Those hills can be dangerous, you know..."

"Oh, very funny!" said Ryder, and then laughed, "Like _you've_ never gotten hurt on one of them."

"Not as much as _you_, bro," was Jordix's response. "You go down those hills shouting like a banshee."

Ryder shrugged and said, "It's fun. Gives me an adrenaline rush."

When he and Peeta had stepped out the kitchen door, they made their way over to the shed in their backyard. After they'd spent a few minutes digging through the mountain of stuff that was piled in the shed (most of it being junk) they finally found the two crazy carpets. One was a bright orange and the other was a deep purple. They had no trouble stepping over everything around them and pulling the carpets out. They were extremely light and easy to carry, and Ryder always said that he'd never go back to using an old-fashioned sled after racing with one of these.

They were lucky to have as big of a backyard as they did because there were multiple hills and slopes that could make for some pretty entertaining races. And because there weren't that many trees scattered about, the two didn't have to worry about speeding down the hills while trying to avoid slamming into the trunk of a tree. Ryder had done that once at school back in grade six and told Peeta it was the freakiest thing he'd ever experienced.

"I tried to stop the sled," said Ryder. "But it was going too fast and then seconds later..._WAM!_ I get slammed into the tree at full speed. Man, that was freaky. Ever since then, I haven't even thought about going sledding at school. I only ever do it here in our own yard."

"They probably fixed you up good, though, didn't they?" said Peeta.

"Yeah," said Ryder, then added sincerely, as if it were something he _had_ to tell his brother at that very second "I'm _**really**_ glad you're home for Christmas, Peeta. I was scared that you might not recover in time, but I'm so glad you did."

"_Thanks_ Ryder," said Peeta in appreciation. "Me too. I kept fearing I'd have to spend the holidays in a hospital but when the doctor told me I'd be home in time for Christmas, it was a huge relief. I don't think I could truly think it was Christmas if there weren't any lights around, or a tree, or decorations...or the smell of cookies in the oven. You wouldn't get to experience that in a hospital; you'd only ever get that at _**home.**_"

Ryder sat down on the crazy carpet and smiled in agreement, "_**Home sweet home**_, little bro."

The two spent a fun hour racing down the hills and just about every time, Ryder would come out as the winner. He argued it was because of how small and light he was as opposed to Peeta who had more of a build, and weighed a bit more. Someone as small as Ryder could easily and almost effortlessly steer the carpet to go in whatever direction he wanted. Peeta, on the other hand, tried doing this but found it was trickier than Ryder made it seem, who flew down the hills with such confidence that anyone would assume it was as easy as _he_ made it look – which it _wasn't._

Jordix even came out ten minutes before they'd gone back inside and announced, "_Snowball fight!"_ He then added quickly before launching the first attack that whoever got in the most shots would get the biggest cookie, which was about three times larger than the rest. All Peeta and Ryder gave each other was a quick glance, and then the two were running off to build their snowballs. Jordix was by far the speediest and threw the balls so fast his brothers hardly had time to question when the next one would come sailing by...before it got them squarely in the chest. Peeta might not have been as fast as Jordix, but what he lacked for in speed he made up for in _aim._ Poor Ryder didn't have the greatest of speed _or_ aim, but he was fairly good at ducking or diving out of the way from getting hit. The question though was what would come out as the winner – Jordix's remarkable speed, Peeta's impressive aim or Ryder's ability to duck almost half the shots that were thrown at him.

The person that walked out victorious...was _Peeta_. Despite the fact that Jordix had fired shot after shot and Ryder had dodged as many attacks as he had, it wasn't enough to compare with the preciseness that Peeta had so carefully focused on. It had been a close call as to who would claim the crown, but in the end, Peeta was the one that would receive the "giant" cookie that Jordix had told him about. Since it was still in the oven with the final batch, he told him he'd have to wait just a little bit longer before getting it.

When the three had returned inside, Ryder had barely stepped into the kitchen before the heavenly smell of cinnamon and nutmeg washed all over him.

"_Man_, that smells good!" he exclaimed, and felt his stomach rumbling. "Nice job, Jordix."

"Thanks, bro," said Jordix, and said with just a hint of boastfulness, "Nobody makes a pie quite like me, if I do say so myself."

"Wish I could have some _now_," said Ryder, and took a deep whiff of the deliciously tempting smell. He took a seat at the kitchen table, put his elbows on the table and then put his hands under his chin. The intense stare he gave the pie was enough to get both Peeta and Jordix laughing.

"Gotta let it cool, Ryder," said Jordix, sliding the pie to the opposite end of the table, but that didn't stop Ryder from continuing to stare hungrily at the pie. "If you're that hungry, go grab one of the cookies. They're pretty much all done anyway."

"I don't _want _cookies, Jordix" said Ryder, and smiled at the pie. "I want _this_."

"Oh, might as well _give_ him a piece," laughed Peeta, handing Ryder a knife, fork and plate. "He'll just keep nagging for some if you don't."

"Ryder, you _are_ impatient," Jordix told him, shaking his head. "Just can't wait like the rest of us, can ya?"

"It's Christmas Eve, Jordix!" said Ryder excitedly, and started to cut himself a piece. "Gotta have pie on Christmas Eve..._**always**_."

"Yeah, but _you_ don't wait for it to _cool_," was Jordix's argument. "Actually, now that I think of it...you don't wait for _anything_ to cool..._ever_."

Ryder now had a decently-sized portion of pie on his plate, which he took an eager bite of, gave a satisfied "_mmmm_" and then said to Jordix, "_Love_ apple pie..."

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Jordix with a chuckle, then to Peeta, "Guess you might as well have some too, since he's already got one. That pie won't last long with Ryder around..."

"I'll wait," said Peeta, and then looked over at the plate of freshly-made cookies. "I'm kind of in the mood for a sugar cookie..."

About ten minutes later, Peeta's massive cookie came out of the oven and when he saw how beautifully it had been decorated, he felt he couldn't have done a better job himself. Jordix had done a great job putting on just the right amount of red and blue icing. He'd also done just as nice of a job with the sprinkles, which were shaped as candy canes, snowmen, Christmas trees and snowflakes. And when he took a bite, the treat proved just as delicious and tasty as it looked and he had the whole thing devoured in less than a minute.

The day passed by quickly and before anyone knew, it was evening and Peeta decided he'd head to bed early that night. After spending an afternoon of sledding, having a snowball fight and enjoying sweets with his brothers, he was tired and ready for sleep. He also wanted to get some rest because he could hardly wait to see Katniss tomorrow. It would be their first Christmas together and he was dying to give her the present he'd kept tucked away in his closet for a month now. It was as he was just starting to nod off that it occurred to him that it was going to be an amazing Christmas and even better...an exciting start to an _incredible _new year. Not once in the past two months, ever since he'd arrived at the hospital, had his dreams been invaded by the vicious hawk.

There'd been so many times where he'd debated about whether or not he should reveal to Katniss what he'd been seeing in his dreams, but since his recovery in the hospital and his returning home, his dreams had been hawk-free so he decided against it. There was no point in worrying about something that had been a part of the _past._ Like with his brother, it was a thing that had had happened, but was _no longer_ happening; that was the important thing. It was clear that at one time Gale's feelings for Katniss _had_ been obviously strong, but neither had seen or heard from him in so long that both could only assume that the most likely reason for this was that Gale...had _moved on._

Peeta guessed that the anger and rage he felt towards him had gotten to the point where it was just too tiring and frustrating to bother with, so he gave up and forgot about her entirely. Perhaps he'd gone in search of a new and better girl? That seemed to Peeta like the most probable explanation for why he'd stopped talking to Katniss, as well as making a habit of invading his dreams and turning them into horrific nightmares. So with that thought in mind, he closed his eyes and was on his way once more to the world of dreams where he and Katniss were spending Christmas Day together. It was experiencing this dream that made him believe that Gale Hawthorne _truly_ was out of their lives for good.

If only Peeta Mellark knew how _utterly _and _completely_ _**wrong**_ he was...


	25. Christmas Day and New Year's Eve

Chapter 25: Christmas Day and New Year's Eve

The next morning, Peeta was still sound asleep when somebody had come barging into his room and jumped up onto his bed. He was still lost in the dream of him and Katniss; the two were sitting up under the cherry blossom tree on their special hilltop and all around them there was a light snowfall. He didn't even feel Ryder's hands grabbing his shoulders and giving him an excited shake. It wasn't until Ryder started hollering that Peeta finally woke up.

"_Come on_, little bro!" said Ryder, his eyes wide and a smile on his face. "It's _**Christmas**_!"

"Five more minutes..." Peeta mumbled, and turned over onto his side with a yawn. Ryder was too quick for him and rolled him right back to how he'd been just seconds ago. No way was he letting his brother sleep in on the best day of the year.

"I don't think so!" said Ryder, and gave Peeta the slightest of a pinch. That did the trick, and Peeta was up and awake so fast that Ryder couldn't help burst out laughing.

"_Ow_!" was all he said.

"Sorry, Peeta," said Ryder with a shrug. "Can't have you snoozing on Christmas Day, though."

Peeta stared at Ryder for a moment, then grinned and asked, "Is Jordix awake?"

"Nope," said Ryder, and he too was grinning. "I wanted to come wake you first."

"Are we _really_ gonna wake 'em?" said Peeta, as if it were _exactly_ what he wanted to do.

Ryder gave a little smirk and said, "_Of course_!"

"Let's go," said Peeta, and the two rushed out of the room and tip toed their way over to Jordix's. Their older brother's reaction was much funnier than Peeta's, because Jordix was the kind of guy who loved his sleep and anyone who interfered with how much sleep he got would get a real surprise when he started snapping and shouting.

"What'd ya do that for?" he asked crankily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"It's Christmas Day, bro!" said Ryder, patting him on the shoulder. "Plenty of time for sleeping later."

Jordix glared at him as if he were _really_ ticked at having his beloved sleep cut short...but then gave a little smile and crawled out of bed while giving his arms a good stretch.

"I guess," he said yawning. "Alright. Let's go check out what's under the tree then."

After spending close to an hour exchanging, receiving and opening gifts, there wasn't a present left unopened and a good portion of the living room was now covered with wrapping paper. As they were unwrapping, their mother kept reminding them not to throw out the bows as she could always use them for next year. It got to the point where Ryder would start purposefully throwing them in the garbage bag because he was so caught up in the realization that it was finally Christmas and it was rather annoying to keep hearing his mother go on about silly bows.

"But you have _enough _bows, mom!" he told her, and dug out one of the bows he'd just finished tossing in the bag. He handed it to her and she added it to the collection that she'd been building for years. "Look how many you got there."

"Can't have too many bows, Ryder," she said, and reached for another. "With how many relatives and friends presents are given out to, I like to make sure they're wrapped properly."

"They're just gonna get rid of them once the gift's opened though..." he muttered, but then started laughing when he saw one of the candy canes falling on Peeta's head. It wasn't one of the heavier ornaments, so it wouldn't leave an aching bruise. What made it funny was that Peeta had been spending a so much time trying to unravel the ribbons on the present he was holding, that when the candy cane fell onto his head, he gave a surprised gasp and immediately glanced up.

"Careful, little bro," said Ryder, and hung the candy cane back up on its branch. "Those ornaments can be real dangerous..."

"Thanks, Ryder; well aware of that now," he said with an amused smile, and proceeded to open the box.

The bottom of the tree was certainly left surrounded with a mountain of presents once ever box had been opened. There were chocolates; two new video games for Ryder; a new guitar; a new easel for Peeta; more than enough clothes; movies; music devices, and three brand new laptops for Peeta, Ryder and Jordix.

Once the presents had been opened and the wrapping paper had been cleaned up and put in the garbage, the five enjoyed a tasty meal of rich breakfast casserole, traditionally baked bread and freshly-made strawberry milkshakes. It was the perfect way to start off what was going to be a wonderful day and as he was sitting there with his parents and two brothers, he felt truly _grateful_ to be home and not still in the hospital knocking on death's door. It was the first time in sixteen years that he'd sat with his family at dinner where everyone was smiling and laughing as opposed to sitting there awkwardly without saying much. It was the single _**best**_ feeling in the world right then, and it was about to get even better.

Around one o'clock, as he and Ryder were sitting on the couch watching Christmas shows, he heard the sound of the doorbell ringing and knew at once who'd rung it. He was up and off that couch so fast that Ryder actually laughed at how excited he was.

When he got to the door, he turned the knob, opened it...and was met with a smiling Katniss.

"Hi, Peeta!" she exclaimed, and he pulled her into a warm hug. "_Merry Christmas_!"

"Merry Christmas to you _too_, sweetheart," he chuckled, and held her close for a moment longer before pulling away. "So you got to spend the morning with your family?"

"Yeah," said Katniss. "My aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents were all able to come. It was great seeing them all, since I only ever see most of my cousins once or twice a year."

"That's awesome," said Peeta, stepping aside while opening the door wider and telling her excitedly, "Come on in! Ryder and I were just watching some shows."

When she stepped through the door and into the entryway, her eyes lit up at seeing how beautifully decorated the inside of their house was. There were lights of every color which glowed brilliantly; angels sitting on the mantels and numerous candles that gave off a soft, warm glow.

"Wow, you guys did _all_ this?" she asked in awe.

Peeta nodded and said, "Ryder and I did the tree and living room. Jordix took care of getting the desserts ready and my parents did the rest of the house and prepared the turkey dinner."

"It's _really_ nice," she commented. "I _love_ the candles. They smell like..._cinnamon_."

"Come see the living room," he smiled, and took her hand to lead her down the hall.

When she got her first look at the carefully decorated room, her mouth actually hung open a little as if the sight were so breathtaking that it was all she could do. The mantel over the fireplace had been decked out with garland, a large wreath with a red bow and about five Christmas bears with Santa hats and wrapped presents in their paws.

"You guys did a _great_ job," she said, amazed. "Everything looks so...perfect."

"Thanks," said Peeta. "It was a lot of work, but it's always worth getting to see the house look so nice, especially since Christmas only comes once a year."

"Hi, Katniss," said Ryder and gave her a friendly smile. "Merry Christmas!"

"Hey, Ryder," Katniss replied. "Merry Christmas!"

After Peeta had returned home from the hospital, Katniss had seen him and Ryder hanging out almost every day on free. It didn't surprise her even a bit because despite the fact that she'd known Ryder as the unlikeable slug that he'd been for seventeen years, almost losing his brother had turned him inside out. She figured he must have been so terrified at never getting to tell Peeta how sorry he was, that he wouldn't spend a single day yelling or giving him a hard time. After having been so close to losing him, he'd never again take his little brother for granted. And that's when Katniss started talking to Ryder whenever she'd see him with Peeta. Whenever she'd run into him in the halls or in the cafeteria eating lunch, he'd always give her a little smile, and she'd make sure to return it with a smile of her own.

She and Peeta took a seat next to him, and that's when Peeta remembered something.

"Almost forget," he said, immediately getting up and heading for the kitchen. "There's something I want you to try."

While she and Ryder sat watching TV, Peeta quickly put together the treat he'd wanted her to try as soon as it started snowing. This was a delicacy that he always enjoyed on a cold winter's day and today was plenty cold enough.

When he returned, he handed her a large mug that was filled with a brown liquid, tiny marshmallows and though she couldn't see it, a hint of minty flavour. She raised the mug to her nose, sniffed and was instantly hit with the delicious sensation of hot chocolate. Suddenly feeling very thirsty, she took an eager sip and felt a shudder as the warmth of the liquid rushed down her throat and all through her body.

She lowered the mug and told Peeta, "This stuff's _amazing._ I'd definitely rank it as being as good as the cheese buns."

"Really?" he asked surprised, but smiled and said, "That's always been one of my favourites. I make it every Christmas."

"You're gonna have to give me the recipe, okay?" said Katniss, and went to take another sip of the frothy drink. "No way I'm only having this around Christmas time."

Peeta chuckled and said, "Okay."

"I bet Prim would love this," said Katniss, and then laughed and said, "You should have seen what she put on Buttercup this morning."

"What?" he asked curiously.

"She put a _Santa hat_ on him," was her answer. "He didn't mind it too much; he doesn't really mind much of anything when it comes to Prim. Now if I'd tried to put the hat on him, he would have just hissed and clawed my eyes out."

"You'll _have_ to show me a picture of that," Peeta told her. "I've gotta see that."

"I'd _love_ to see him with a beard but...don't think he'd like that too much," said Katniss.

"No, probably not," Peeta agreed.

The three watched Christmas shows for a good three hours, and enjoyed every second of it. There was even one that replayed twice, but most people don't mind watching things twice when it comes to Christmas. They get so caught up with the spirit and fun of the holiday that they'll pretty much watch anything Christmas-related, even if it's showing for the third or fourth time on TV.

At one point, Ryder got up and left the room without saying where he was going or what he was getting. He came back a few minutes later with his hands behind his back and a casual look on his face. Both Peeta and Katniss looked to him to see if he'd gotten anything, but all he did was walk up to them while still keeping his hands hidden.

He then gave the tiniest of a grin and held something up. He positioned it directly between and above Peeta and Katniss's and as soon as they glanced up, they knew what it was – _**mistletoe.**_ Peeta wasn't surprised to see it, and he was even less surprised to see that it was Ryder who'd gotten it.

Peeta shook his head in amusement, looked to his brother and smiled, "_Thanks_, Ryder."

"_No problem_, little bro."

Peeta then returned his attention to Katniss, who was also smiling in amusement. Then, without a word, he slowly leaned in to her, took her face in both his hands...and gave her a _**Christmas kiss.**_ The kiss was soft, gentle and their movements were slow as their lips brushed against the other. All the while, Ryder watched them and even let out a long, "_Awwww_..." The _old_ Ryder would have said this with a nasty tone as if it were the most pathetic and disgusting thing he'd seen, but the new Ryder's tone was all but genuine. As Peeta held Katniss's face in his hands and felt the warmth of her lips on his, he thought to himself, "_I hope Ryder finds the girl of __**his**__ dreams soon. He deserves to have someone in his life_..."

When they pulled away, Peeta remembered something else he'd planned to give Katniss.

"Be right back," he said, and hurried out of the room.

He returned and in his hands was a small black box with a red ribbon. He held it out to her and she took it, but not before giving Peeta a curious and somewhat surprised look.

"I can't even imagine what's in this..." said Katniss, and started to undo the ribbon.

"Open it and see," he smiled.

When she'd gotten the ribbon off, she lifted the lid off, took a look inside and her mouth instantly opened. She hadn't guessed what Peeta might have had in mind for a Christmas gift, but she should have known it would have been nothing but _**special.**_ It was a chain with a gold disk shaped as a mockingjay and as he slid his finger along a catch, the disk popped open and a locket is revealed. There was nothing inside it, but Katniss didn't have to think twice about whose photo she'd be placing inside – _**Peeta's.**_

"Thank you, Peeta," she said sincerely, and put the chain around her neck. "It's beautiful."

"I hoped you'd like it," he told her. "You can put a picture inside it, too. That way you can always have people you love close to you."

"Then that means I can always have _**you**_ close to me," said Katniss.

"Thanks, sweetheart," said Peeta, and then pointed to a large bag over by one of the tables. "Who's that for?"

"You," she said simply.

"_Me_?" he asked, and walked over to it with a smile. "You got _me_ a present?"

"_Of course_, Peeta!" she said laughing. "It's Christmas."

He brought that bag over to the couch, sat down next to her and peeked inside. He couldn't see to the bottom because the bag was filled with colourful tissue paper.

"I think you'll like it," she said with a small grin.

He eagerly reached his hand in, removed the tissue paper and when he saw what was inside, his eyes actually lit up and he smiled again. What she'd bought him were some new paintbrushes and paints and since Peeta went through bottles of paint so quickly, he was always in need new ones.

"Just what I needed," Peeta declared, and put an arm around her lovingly. "Thank you, Katniss."

"You're welcome," she said, pleased at his reaction.

A few days later, New Year's Eve had arrived and Katniss and Peeta were on their way to their special hill with the cherry blossom tree. So far, they'd gone there at least ten times and each time they went, it felt like it were their first time arriving. They liked the relaxation of sitting under the tree with the gorgeous petals and doing nothing but watching the sun set while casting the sky in a deep shade of orange. Most of the time, Peeta made sure to bring his iPod along so they could go on listening to the song that had become theirs: Safe and Sound. What with the cherry blossom tree, the sunset and the mesmerizing song, Peeta really believed that aside from the lake down by the school, it really was the most _**special**_ place.

They got there a little after three and spent a good amount of time just sitting in the snow and talking about school and how their exams went. It was amazing to think that at one point, they had just been arriving at their first art class, which was where they had originally met. Time had flown by so fast and now they were preparing for second semester.

"Hard to believe we're halfway there," said Peeta. "Just a few more months and grade ten will be done."

"I know," said Katniss. "Seems like just yesterday I was saying how much I hated art and how bad I was at it but now...I've come a long way."

"You have," agreed Peeta. "You're an Artist now."

She smiled at the compliment, then asked him, "What classes do you have for the winter besides art?" Art was one of the few subjects of Madderson High that ran all year. It hadn't always been that way but ever since Mr. Odair had come to the school, it had become such a popular class that when he proposed the idea of it being an all-year class, pretty much every student was strongly in favour of the idea.

"English and Gym," said Peeta. "Should be a good semester now that _**ugh**_—" and here he shuddered as if the word left a bad taste in his mouth, and said with relief, "_Math_ is done."

Katniss shook her head and said, amused, "Peeta, will you _ever_ stop saying _ugh_ when it comes to math?"

"Probably not," he admitted. "I'm just not a big fan of it."

"Oh, I know that," said Katniss, remembering all the times Peeta had frowned when she told him they had a math test coming up, or a huge assignment due. It was one of the rare times she ever caught Peeta Mellark _actually _frowning.

"What are your classes?" he asked curiously.

She broke out in a big smile and answered, "English and Gym."

"_No way_!" said Peeta excitedly. "Seriously?"

"Yup," was her answer. She knew how thrilled he'd be at hearing the two would be sharing all their classes together, and she was just as thrilled herself.

"That means we'll be in the _same _classes!" he exclaimed. He'd greatly enjoyed having Katniss in his art class, but the idea of them sharing _all_ the same classes got him that much more excited. He only hoped he'd be able to focus enough on his _schoolwork_ rather than let the idea of Katniss being in all of his classes consume his mind. He knew he had nothing to worry about though because if _he_ didn't give himself a little kick to get his head back in the books, then Katniss _certainly_ would; he had no doubt about that. There was _no_ _way _she'd let Peeta's grades slip because he was spending _all_ his time thinking about how he'd spend his time with her. He was _lucky_ to have such a girlfriend because some would be so busy and obsessed trying to get their boyfriends to spend _all_ his time with them as opposed to focusing on their work.

"Do you know what block you have for free?" said Peeta.

"I think it's B," she told him.

Once more Peeta broke out in a huge smile and said, "Same with me. This is awesome; it looks like we're going to have every class and even free together. And then we've got lunch to hang out as well. How great is that? We can spend the _whole_ day together, Katniss!"

"The _whole_ day?" she asked in shock, as if not liking the idea as much as he'd expected.

He gave her a confused look wondering why she'd dislike the idea, but she only laughed and put her hand on his cheek and said jokingly, "_Just kidding._ I can't wait. We'll be able to do all our homework together and then we'll both come out with straight A's."

"Wow, that'd be nice," said Peeta. "Alright, that'll be our goal then for this semester: to come out with all A's. Gym shouldn't be a problem since half the points you get are for showing up dressed in the right gear. English won't be hard since all of its reading and writing. And art, well...that'll be a piece of cake."

"Art and gym should be," said Katniss. "But I don't know about English."

"How come?" asked Peeta.

She shrugged and said, "I've never been that great in English. I do alright, but the most I ever come out with is B's."

"Well, I can change that for you, sweetheart," said Peeta with confidence. "I changed you perspective on art, right?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted, but then added, "But that was different. Art and English are two different things."

"But I helped you like art, right?" he asked.

She didn't answer at first, but then nodded and said, "Yeah."

"Then believe me when I tell you that you _are_ going to love English," said Peeta. "I'm gonna show you how you can move somebody with words and write something that people can relate to."

"If you say so," she said, humouring him. But she knew all too well that Peeta would stay true to his word and if that were the case, then by the end of the school year...she'd _love _English just like he assured her she would.

"Count on it," he smiled.

While they waited for the upcoming fireworks, they spent the rest of the afternoon building a snowman. Katniss thought back to the night when Peeta had first brought her here, and how when he'd taken her home he'd told her he'd want to return to the hilltop and build a snowman. She hadn't really been sure whether he was serious or not, but when she saw him forming a small snowball, she had the feeling he wasn't kidding. She was even _more_ sure when he started rolling the ball through the snow and that's when she knew that he wanted to build a snowman with her.

"I'll build the body," said Peeta, still rolling the ball across the snow. "You can get started on the head if you want."

When she'd gotten the head built, Peeta was just finishing up his part of the snowman.

"You're still not done?" she chuckled, watching him.

"Hey, this thing's heavy!" he argued, but was laughing as well. "I think it's big enough now, though. What do you think?"

"I'd say it's definitely big enough," she said. She picked up the head that she'd formed and carried it over towards Peeta. While she'd been getting the head ready, he'd gone ahead and built the middle portion of the snowman as well, so now all that was needed for their snow friend was the head.

"Let's give this guy a head," said Peeta.

Katniss lifted her snowball up off the ground and gently placed it on the snowman's body. She took a step back and the two of them admired the now finished body, before Peeta started digging through his coat pocket.

"Now we just gotta give him some features," said Peeta, and what he took out of his pocket were two pieces of coal. Once he'd gotten the eyes firmly in place, he dug into his other pocket and pulled out a large orange carrot, and a couple of small black rocks. A few minutes later, he backed away and Katniss saw the smiling face of their almost complete snowman.

"That looks good," she commented, and then asked, "Should we give him arms?"

"There should be some sticks around," he said, and started off for the woods behind them. "I'll see if there's some in here."

It took him all but a few minutes to find two decently-sized branches. He brought them up to the snowman and pushed them into its side, and then stood next to Katniss as the two looked their creation over.

"Not bad," said Katniss. "His face looks great."

"Kind of looks like _Ryder_," said Peeta, and chuckled.

"Oh, I bet he'd _love_ to hear you say _that_," said Katniss sarcastically, but she too was laughing. "That you said he looked like a snowman."

"But I didn't say he looked like a snowman," Peeta corrected. "I said the snowman looked like Ryder."

"Same thing though, Peeta!" she said, and gave him a playful smirk.

"_Okay_, _okay_," he admitted, putting his hands up in surrender. "Don't tell him I said that then. He might not like the fact that I thought he looked like a snowman."

"Alright," said Katniss. "I won't tell him."

"But you have to admit," Peeta went on, still looking the snowman over carefully. "It _does_ kind of look like him..."

Katniss shook her head and said, "Then that's what we'll call him: Ryder."

"Ryder it is then," said Peeta.

A few hours later, the two were sitting comfortably under the cherry blossom and eagerly waiting for the fireworks display to begin. It was almost midnight, which meant in just a few short minutes the two would be entering a new year, and it was one they both hoped would be an _unforgettable_ one. After having almost lost Peeta to a bullet to the chest, Katniss was only hoping that whatever was awaiting them in the new year, it would be all but _good_ an _wonderful_ things.

When at last the fireworks came shooting into the sky, their eyes looked upon a show that could only be described as magical. The array of colors that lit up the sky was magnificent and there was every color one could hope to see: deep reds, bright yellows, oranges, violets and brilliant blues. The sound of the exploding rockets was deafening, but the loudness of it all only made the event that much more exciting. The show lasted for twenty minutes, but when Peeta checked his watch only a few minutes after they'd begun, he saw what time it was.

He took Katniss's hand in his, looked her in the eye and smiled, "It's officially midnight. Make a wish, sweetheart." Katniss gave him a smile, and then returned her attention to the colourful show while knowing just what she would wish for.

"_I wish for an __**amazing**__ year with Peeta Mellark_," she thought, silently sending off her wish to the world. "_And that we'll be __**together forever**_."

At the same time, Peeta was thinking, "_I wish for Katniss and I to be able to have fun in the New Year and have __**great**__ things happen to us. More importantly...that we can __**stay together**_."

While Peeta and Katniss were watching the fireworks and making their New Year's Eve wish, two people were making their way through the woods and anyone might assume they were going for a walk. What no one knew was that these two gentlemen were on their way to a 'meeting' and they knew the person that was expecting them would _not _be impressed if they showed up late.

"So who we goin' to see?" asked Gloss. When Brutus had sent him a text, he hadn't told Gloss who they were going to meet; he'd just told him it was regarding something _**extremely important.**_ Brutus, however, wasn't exactly sure why this fellow wanted to see and talk to them, but he didn't question it too much. He simply went along with it.

It was when Brutus told him the name that it finally came back to Gloss, as this was a guy they'd run into once before...

"_**Gale Hawthorne**_," was Brutus's answer.


	26. Brutus and Gloss

**A/N: Well, here's the last chapter that will be up until next summer. I hope you guys enjoy what is here so far in the story. I'm sorry that I won't be able to write for so long, but I promise to work even harder next summer to make this story the best I possibly can, so I hope to see and hear back from all of you next summer when I finish the story! Until next time friends :)**

**I think next summer I might even go back to the beginning chapters and add more details before I move on to finish the story. There's some things I'd like to work on and change up a bit. Some new ideas have actually popped into my head, so I think I'm going to back and add those in before moving on to the later chapters. So by next summer, I might take down the story, add more depth to it and THEN repost the new and more detailed version of this story. But I will keep the story up right now for you to read and enjoy. I hope when I do repost it, you'll enjoy it even more and until then, please enjoy the chapters that are already posted! :)**

Chapter 26: Brutus and Gloss

As Brutus and Gloss made their way through the dense, thick woods, all they could think was that whatever it was this Hawthorne fella wanted with them, it had _better_ be good. There was no way they'd be trailing through the woods that hour of the night just to sit down and have a chat with a guy they'd never even met. But the place he'd asked them to meet him at was only about a five minute walk from where they lived, so luckily they didn't have to go out of their way to find this guy, because that was something they definitely _wouldn't_ be doing. The spot he'd texted for them to meet him at was a wooden bridge that most often people crossed or stopped by to look down at the running stream below. Both Brutus and Gloss had been here more than once while hiking through the forest, so they knew the way and had no worries of getting lost.

"So," said Gloss, as they were continuing along. "You've got _no_ idea what this Hawthorne guy wants?"

"None," said Brutus.

"Wonder what he wants," said Gloss curiously. "Must be important if he's texting you this late at night..."

"Don't know," Brutus replied. "But whatever it is, it _better_ be good because if it's not, I'll pummel 'em."

"Wait a second," said Gloss suddenly. "How the _hell_ did he get your number?"

"Again, don't know," said Brutus quickly. "Got it off another guy, or something, but who cares. If he says it's important _and _we'll like what he's got to say, then I'd _like_ to hear what he's got to say."

"You remember who he is though, right?" asked Gloss. "The guy from the store? With the wallet?"

"Yeah, I remember," snapped Brutus and shot his brother an irritated look as if he'd even have to ask if he remembered. "And if that's what this guy's wanting to see us about, then he's gonna have another thing coming. And anyway, why would he turn us in _now_? If he'd have wanted to see us squirm that badly, he'd have done it back when he first saw us. No way he'd wait this long to spill the truth."

"Probably," Gloss agreed, and took a moment to recall the first time he and Brutus had run into Gale Hawthorne. It had been two years ago and he and his brother had been in grade ten, while Gale had been in eight, and the place they'd run into him was at an electronics store in town. Gloss and his brother were out shopping around that day, but what nobody knew was that these two high school kids weren't simply out in search to buy stuff...they were out to _steal _stuff. It didn't matter to them what they got their hands on either; all they cared about was causing mischief and not getting caught. This had been a thing he and Brutus had always loved doing growing up, which was finding their way into trouble and doing all they could to _stay_ in trouble and not get busted.

It was one day while they were browsing around in an electronics store and pretending to be casually checking out the various games that they made their move. They'd been keeping their eyes on the shelves of various games when they'd heard a man behind them cursing under his breath and digging through his pockets. What he'd taken out was his wallet, which he'd then laid down beside him before quickly getting up and striding his way over to the manager's office. Both Brutus and Gloss had silently turned around, looked to the table and seeing the wallet sitting there so exposed and out in the open...it struck them as too enticing and tempting of an opportunity to ignore. So without a word, Brutus had taken a seat, slid the wallet in his _own_ pocket and then walked off with his brother following right behind.

What they hadn't expected was for someone to have _seen _Brutus pick up the wallet and secretly claim it as his own. It was realizing this that Brutus had been struck with a sudden sense of anger and rage that one single stupid person had to have witnessed it. So many times he and Gloss had gotten away with stealing and yet here now, a set of eyes had fallen upon them and watched what they'd done. The question was though was were the eyes of this person going to stay locked on them or were they going to go searching for help and reveal them as the trouble-making, teenage crooks that they were? All Brutus could do was stand there feeling frozen and wonder what the guy would do next.

The guy looked a few years younger than himself and all Brutus could think was what kind of person this was. Was he an honest, decent kid who'd go straight to the police and report them for robbing a man's wallet? Or was he the kind of guy who'd simply ignore it and walk off as if it were no big deal? Maybe the guy would be too shocked and stunned to go and _do_ _anything_? Brutus hadn't the slightest idea of what might be going through his mind but whatever thought he was having, he just hoped they weren't about getting these two thieves into serious trouble. It was a dilemma that could end in only one of two ways. Either this guy would walk off uninterested in what he'd witnessed and Brutus and Gloss would get away with their latest burglary _or _he'd go to the police and inform them of what he had seen. The two were in a tight spot and whatever it was this guy decided to do in the end...it would determine whether or not they left the store with the wallet in hand.

Brutus and the guy held eye contact for what felt like a lifetime, though it was only a few seconds. Finally, the guy turned, walked up to the front doors and left the store without saying a single word to either Brutus or Gloss. As to why the guy simply walked off without trying to let somebody know the crime Brutus and his brother had committed, Brutus had no idea. But as he watched the guy leaving, he sent him a secret, "_**Thanks**_," and then he and Gloss were exiting the store slowly and casually, and not a person around them was aware that a wallet had just been stolen. The man would return to find his money, licence, credit cards and any other personal photos that had been tucked safely away in his wallet..._**gone.**_

Brutus couldn't care less for the photos and banking information, though. What he was after was the _cash_ and when he and Gloss were far out of sight from any possible witnesses, he removed the wallet from his pocket and when he saw how much money they had been rewarded with...his eyes lit up and a wicked, victorious grin came over his face. What he was now holding in his hand...was _three-hundred dollars._

"Aw, _man_!" Brutus exclaimed, and let out a laugh. "Doesn't get any _sweeter_ than this!"

"No, it doesn't," said Gloss, but then added with a touch of nervousness, "But that guy back at the store. You don't think he's gonna—"

"What, _tell_ somebody?" Brutus interrupted, then said confidently, "Nah. He'll probably just walk off, go back home and forget about it. Why go through all the time and trouble to report two guys who stole a wallet? I mean, would_ you_ really care about telling someone?"

Gloss shrugged and said, "Well, _no_...but still, Brutus. You don't know for sure what that kid will do. He might be some fuckin' little tattle tale that likes to get everyone else in trouble and we'll be the next ones he tattles on!"

"Not much we can do about now, though, can we?" was Brutus's sharp response. "We took the money, left, and now we'll just see what happens. I'm telling ya...we're _not_ gonna get caught."

"Man, I hope you're right," was all Gloss could say.

"Just _think_ what we're gonna do with these babies," said Brutus with a smirk. "Three-hundred bucks...and it's _all _ours."

"Yeah, if we don't get _caught_," Gloss muttered, but it was eyeing the money with obvious greed.

"Oh, _shut up_, Gloss!" Brutus groaned, and handed him a hundred-dollar bill. "Just take that and see how _that_ feels."

Gloss looked down at the money that had just been shoved into his hand, and Brutus could tell right away that Gloss enjoyed the idea of having such a vast amount of cash in his hand. Gloss had always been as greedy, selfish and cunning as his older brother but there was always one big difference been Brutus and Gloss – and that was that Gloss was a _coward_. Where Brutus was fearless and unafraid of pretty much anything, Gloss would constantly be fretting about the potential trouble they were getting themselves in. If not for the luring and tempting possibilities of what could be theirs if they remained lucky enough to steal it and walk away...then Brutus would have grown up acting on his own. He was glad that Gloss was able to overcome the fear of jeopardy because he was a clever and sly kind of guy and Brutus liked having him around. He figured it was better to have a partner than none at all and not only that, but _two _minds were _always_ better than one.

"Feels good, don't it?" said Brutus, tucking the rest of the money back into his pocket.

"You're fuckin' right it does," said Gloss, and then turned and started the other way. "Let's hope it _stays _that way."

The two were much relieved when an entire two years had passed and nothing had been spilled about their stealing of the wallet, or anything else they'd robbed during that time. It was clear that the guy from the store _didn't_ care about what he'd seen because if he had, then he and Gloss would have surely been approached by the police by now. Even better, because they hadn't been caught, Gloss had grown to be less cowardly and was starting to act more like Brutus every day. He still wasn't entirely fearless and there were still times when he'd overanalyze what they were doing, but he'd gotten to the point where he'd almost always go along with whatever his brother had planned.

This all went through Gloss's mind in less than a minute and the more he thought about it, the more he felt sure that whatever it was that Hawthorne wanted with them, it _wasn't_ regarding a man's wallet that they'd stolen two years ago. He'd informed Brutus that it was extremely important that he and his brother meet up with him, so whatever it _was_ about...it _must_ have been serious.

After ten more minutes of sauntering through the woods, they saw the bridge just up ahead and standing by the rail with his hands dangling over it – was _Gale Hawthorne._ They'd seen him frequently around school – in the cafeteria, wandering in the halls or out near the back of the school – and he looked the same as he always did with his dark hair, grey eyes and height of six feet tall. Though he was only in grade ten, he was definitely one of the more intimidating students of Madderson High, mostly because of all the anger he'd often keep boggled up inside him. If there was every something that wasn't going his way even the slightest, then he'd fly right off the handle and give one the hardest time about it. That was the kind of person he was and it was at the start of this year that other students noticed how cranky and bitter he'd become. As to why, nobody was sure but no one cared much to ask questions and be nosy.

It was observing him at that moment that both Brutus and Gloss sensed that he was deeply troubled which meant that whatever it was that was bothering them...he needed _their _help. Gloss looked him over carefully while trying to make out any expression on his face, but found nothing but emptiness. His eyes stared down at the running water as if he were lost in some hopeless fantasy and all he could do was stare into open space. His head was dropped slightly and he was biting his lip to the point where a drop of blood was appearing, but he didn't seem to care. His mind was so far gone from reality that practically _anything _could happen and he'd still be obsessing over the perfect fantasy that he'd constructed so long ago.

When Brutus and Gloss approached him, Gale hardly noticed them at first and only went on gazing down at the water below. But he then slowly turned his head, gave them a blank stare, and gave the smallest of a smile and said, "So you decided to come, huh?"

Brutus walked up next to him, put his arms over the railing of the bridge and answered, "You said it was important. Was it?"

"More important then _you'll_ ever know," was Gale's quick answer. "What, you think I would have called you all the way out here if it _weren't?_"

So far, Brutus didn't like Gale's snippy attitude and he _definitely_ wasn't going to let a little tenth grader push him around as if he were some inferior kid. If this guy wanted his and Gloss's help, then he'd have to smarten up and start acting a little more calm, rather than take out all his frustration on a guy he'd never even spoke to.

"Oh, I don't know," he said sharply, and gave Hawthorne a steely glare. "But you got my number somehow. Wanna explain what that's all about?"

"Doesn't really matter," said Gale, not sounding too intimidated. "But if you wanna know, I got it from one of your friends."

"And you know them, how...?" asked Brutus, raising a brow in suspicion.

"Easy. I see you two hanging out almost every day on free," Gale explained. "So I went up to him, asked him for your number because I had to ask you something important, and he gave it. _Happy_ now?"

"Yeah, whatever," said Brutus, and then asked, "So why'd you call Gloss and I here then? What's this all about? And let me tell ya, if I don't find what you have to tell me important enough, then we're out of here. We could be doing better things right now, spending our time elsewhere."

"Oh, _trust me_," said Gale with a grin. "You'll find the task..._**appealing.**_" He then glanced over at Gloss who hadn't yet spoken a word and said, "What's the matter with you? Shy?"

Gloss shook his head and said, "No...just thinking."

"About what?" asked Gale curiously, but then his eyes widened as if realizing something and Gloss was met with a knowing smile from Hawthorne. "Never mind. I already know what you're thinking."

"So what am I thinking then?" asked Gloss.

"You're thinking about the wallet you and your brother stole," was Gale's blunt response. "Aren't you?"

"Uh...yeah," said Gloss with a dumb expression. "You're not gonna tell on us, are ya?"

Gale only laughed as if the question actually amused him and said to Gloss, "Now why would I go and do that? Don't you think I would have gotten you two in shit two years ago when it actually happened? Why the hell would I have waited this long to do it? And anyway, I couldn't do that now even if I _wanted_ to."

"And why's that?" said Brutus, keeping his eyes on Gale.

"Because I _need_ you two," said Gale simply, and looked them both in the eye with dead seriousness. "I'm not gonna go and make _enemies _when what I need right now are..._**friends **_and_** assistants."**_

"Uh, _assistants_?" asked Brutus, and gave him a look that had nothing but confusion written all over it. "Care to explain that more?"

"I can't do this job alone," Gale told him bitterly. "I've already tried and it's gotten me nowhere. So I'm going on a little search to see who can best help me get what I want."

"And what is it that you want?" asked Gloss. "Money...?"

Gale burst out laughing and said, "Money..._right_. Of course that's what _you'd_ think. Nice one, but no. What I want is something that means more to me than money ever will."

"And that is...?" said Brutus, getting impatient.

"A _**girl**_," said Gale.

"Okay..._what_ girl then?" said Brutus, tired of Gale taking so long to get to the point.

"Katniss Everdeen."

"Oh, her?" said Brutus, surprised. "So you got the hots for her, huh?"

"Something like that," answered Gale. "But it's a bit more complicated than you'd think."

"Uh, it's not rocket science," scoffed Brutus. "You go to her, talk to her, get her to like you and there you go...she's all yours. What's the problem here? You get Gloss and I to come all the way out here just so you can tell us _that_? Not impressed so far so if you'd like us to stay, you'd better start talking, or we're gone."

"Patience," said Gale calmly, not losing his cool. "You'll hear it all."

"So what's the big deal anyway?" asked Gloss. "You like Katniss...but what's the dilemma here?"

"You know a guy named _**Peeta Mellark**_?"

"Oh, that guy!" said Gloss, instantly recognizing the name. "Yeah, he's that fuckin' little baker's son, ain't he?"

"Right you are," said Gale.

"That kid's a wussy," said Brutus, laughing. "I've seen him all the time in the halls doing his lameass sketches and painting pictures in art and it's just too funny. And who has _ever_ seen a guy that's so in love with his little girlfriend? Holy fuck...you never see him and Katniss apart. It's just him and Katniss, Katniss and him every second of every day and—"

"And that's the _**problem**_!" snarled Gale, not able to contain the anger any longer. "That little fucker's been with her for months now and she's completely pushed me out of her life. Ever since that bread boy came around, she's wanted nothing to do with me and now she wants me to stay away...but the hell with that. If she thinks I'm giving up, crawling in a hole and forgetting about her, then she's way over her head. Whether she likes it or not, I'll _never _be giving up."

"Ah, so you're gonna go after her?" said Brutus with a smirk. "Alright. Not a bad idea to get her back but how exactly are you gonna do that when she and baker boy are so head over heels in love with each other? You might need to come up with a plan to get over that little hurdle."

"I've already got a plan," Gale smiled.

"Then start explaining," said Gloss. "And while you're at it, tell us why you need us so badly?"

"Brutus is right," Gale told them, tapping his fingers on the railing. "I _am_ gonna go after Katniss, but it's not really her I'm after...it's Bread Boy. He's the factor in this whole equation and once I've taken him out of it, then she's mine. That's a done deal, but till he's out of her life and gone forever, I'll never stand a chance. Hate to admit it but I can't compete with him. That little fucker's gotten in so deep with her that anything I do would be seen as lame. But if I get rid of Mellark, then she'll have no choice but to let someone into her life to help her get over the loss of him and who better to do that then the guy who'd been her best friend her whole life? Once I get rid of Peeta, she'll be so hopelessly crushed and heartbroken that giving her love to another guy might not be such a bad idea and the more time she'll spend with me, the more she'll realize that she _can't_ live the rest of her life alone and without love. She'll realize it sooner than later that she'll _**need**_ me.

"Yeah, that sounds nice and all," said Brutus. "But you still haven't explained what you're actually gonna do. You say you wanna get rid of Peeta...fine. But you got a plan to make that happen? Because if you don't, then you'd better come up with one."

"Oh, I've got a plan," said Gale with a proud and wicked smirk.

"So explain," said Brutus.

"Well, long story short," said Gale. "It's a more complicated plan than you'd ever truly appreciate, but maybe you'll understand just how perfect of a plan it is once I've told you. I've got everything planned but it's gonna take me a while. I've gotta take it one step at a time and then once everything's been done and put into motion...Peeta will be _history_ and Katniss Everdeen _**will **__be mine_."

"Just _tell us_ already!" snapped Gloss. "What the hell's your big plan then?"

Gale stared them both in the eyes and said, enjoying the thought, "We _break him_..._**emotionally**_."

"Uh..._what_?" asked Gloss, puzzled. "And you're gonna break him, how?"

"Exactly what I just said," said Gale, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "We're gonna break him emotionally."

"You keep saying '_we_'?" said Gloss. "You really need our help _that _bad?"

"Like I said," Gale answered. "I can't do this alone. But if you two helped me and did what I asked, then it'd be no problem at all. And I think you'll like the little idea I've got in mind in how to go about doing that."

"I'm intrigued," said Brutus, listening closely. "Go on..."

Gale gave Brutus a smile and said, "You're the _**Careers**_ of Madderson High. Nobody thinks twice about messing with you and any little thing you two do leaves any normal person scared to their bones. You look someone in the eye and they look away; you walk behind someone and they walk a bit faster; you give them a wink and they feel like fainting. If that's not power, then I don't know what is. You two are at the top of the food chain and anyone else is nowhere but below you, including Mellark."

"True," said Brutus. "But what do you want us to _do_?"

"_**Break him**_," said Gale flatly. "Do whatever the hell you have to, I don't care. Just make the little fucker wish he didn't have to come to school. Make him think his life is falling apart and there's nothing he can do about. Make him miserable; make him feel pain that he's never felt. Humiliate him, mock him, crush him, stomp on him and then by that point, he'll be so shattered that not even Katniss will be able to put him back together. I don't want you guys to back down, either. Do whatever you have to do make his life a _**living hell**_ at Madderson High. Hell, make it like that _outside_ of school. You've already shown what you can do to all the others; they've been intimidated by you enough times. It's time you put your focus on a new victim. That bread boy will be fresh meat for you two."

"_Fresh meat_, eh?" said Brutus, and grinned. "Now you've got my attention."

"Basically what I'm asking you to do," Gale went on. "Is to make that guy's life a living hell. Make him experience a fear he's never known; make him think he's vulnerable and helpless and that you two as Careers _cannot_ be stopped. I've come up with a little term for what I'd like you to do to him. I've called it..._**hijacking**_."

"_Hijacking_?" said Gloss.

"I want you guys to _hijack_ his mind," said Gale, grinning. "Hijack his mind and fill it with fear, anger and hopelessness. Make him realize just how _alone _he really is. Make him feel that not even his precious little girlfriend can keep him strong. It's not that I wouldn't go and do that to him myself, but if I did that then any hope I have of getting Katniss is gone. You think she'd want anything to do with me when I'm trying to make her boyfriend's life a living hell? _No. _And that's why I'll need your help for this. As long as I'm safely off to the sides and hidden from _both_ of them, then they'll never assume I had anything to do with it. I haven't spoken to her and Bread Boy since after he got shot, so they've already forgotten about me. The fact that I've left her alone probably makes her think I've moved on and found another girl when really...I'm still _just_ as much in the game. But they don't know that. They _can't_ know that, or this whole plan was for nothing."

"So as long as you stay hidden," said Brutus, putting the pieces together and finally making sense of what Gale was telling them. "Then when the time _does_ come for you to approach her, she'll never think that you had _anything_ to do with Peeta being crushed and gotten rid of. She'll just think you've been living your life and doing nothing else."

"That's _exactly_ it," Gale confirmed.

"Interesting," said Brutus. "I gotta ask you though. When you mentioned Peeta getting shot, I can't help but wonder if you just _might_ have had something to do with that? _Did you_?"

Gale didn't hesitate and answered, "_**Of course**_."

"Should have known," said Brutus, but then asked, "So let me guess. You hired that Titus guy to come to Madderson High, threaten to bomb the school if anyone tried to stop him and then instruct him to shoot one person and one person only...and that was Peeta Mellark."

"You're a smart guy," Gale commented. "That's pretty much how it went. Wasn't hard either. I've known Titus for a few years now and the older he got, the crazier he became. He was always a violent and crazy kind of guy, so I knew if there was anyone that could walk into that school and get the job done, it was him. Too bad I didn't think he'd be such a fuckin' idiot and only shoot Bread Boy _once._"

"You wanted him shot _more_ than once?" asked Gloss.

"Yes, because that would have _**killed**_ him," said Gale coldly. "But that idiot thought one shot to the chest would be enough; too bad it wasn't. The doctors healed him up real good and now he's back to normal. So originally...my plan _did_ fail because Titus let me down. He'd didn't do what I'd asked him to and that was the _**kill **_Peeta."

"So that was all you wanted to do from the beginning then?" Brutus questioned. "Just hire Titus to shoot him and kill him?"

"Yeah," said Gale. "It was simple enough. But I won't be able to rely on Titus anymore. He's no help to me now."

"Why?" said Gloss. "Where is he?"

"_**Behind bars**_," was Gale's answer. "He's no help to me in jail. But I guess he wasn't totally useless. He _did_ manage to scare both Peeta and Katniss, so at least they'll never _truly_ get over the scare of it. Don't think it'll ever leave them so really, it wasn't all completely for nothing. And it's only gonna get better from here on because it really doesn't matter if you two fail or succeed. It'll still end the same way."

"Uhh..._what_?" said Brutus, feeling lost at the odd comment. "So if Peeta's not broken emotionally, like you want to happen, then you'll _still_ get Katniss? How does that even make sense?"

"Simple," Gale smiled. "Because my plan doesn't end there...there's _**more**_."

"How _much_ more, Hawthorne?" asked Brutus curiously. "How _big _is this plan of yours?"

"What I've got schemed is a _**master plan**_, Brutus," said Gale boastfully. "Don't think anyone's ever come up with such a wicked plan. Whether you two succeed at crushing Mellark, or fail at breaking him apart, it won't even matter. I'd _like_ for you to break him and to make him squirm, but either way the rest of the plan will still get put into motion regardless of what you two accomplish."

"You're really getting me interested in this master plan," said Brutus, and gave a slight grin. "Care to reveal it?"

"Only if you promise to keep it _our_ little secret," said Gale seriously. "Because as you two both know, I still remember you stealing that guy's wallet. If you two got me into shit, then what would stop _me_ from getting you two into shit _as well_? You're think you're safe and out of harm's way but you're not. I can still go to the police and expose you two for the sneaky thieves you are. So be smart when I tell you to keep this between just the three of us, got it?"

"Got it," said Brutus. "We guard your secret and you guard ours. Now what's this master plan of yours?"

When at last Gale had explained to them the details of his incredible plan, the two were left with opened mouths and widened eyes. Never in their lives had they heard such awful words come out of a person's mouth...

"You _really are_ an _**evil bastard**_, aren't you?" said Brutus, chuckling. "Holy shit...only a bastard would think up a plan like that."

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Gale.

"That's...that's _horrid_," said Gloss, but then added, "But it's _fuckin' brilliant_. There's no way Peeta will still be with Katniss after all _that's_ happened. Man, you've got them by the hook with this one. If only they knew what was coming..."

"Oh, don't worry," Gale smirked. "They'll find out soon enough. Shit's gonna hit the fan _**real soon**_."

"So, you're guaranteed it'll work then, huh?" said Brutus.

"_More_ than guaranteed," said Gale with confidence. "And you two got nothing to worry about. It won't matter whether you fail or succeed because the plan will still get put into motion whether Peeta's completely shattered or not. You won't have to worry about what happened to Titus happening to you. He was so crazy that he didn't care one way or the other if he got caught; he was just out to spill blood that day. But your mission is a lot simpler, because you can get away with most of your task without _really_ being out in the open."

"Can I ask you something?" Brutus interrupted.

"Sure," said Gale.

"That day two years ago," Brutus started. "In that electronics store when we took that guy's wallet. You saw us, but you didn't tell anyone..._why_?"

"Didn't care," said Gale. "Stuff like that happens all the time. Why do you think I was gonna concern myself with something that happens every day? Why would I go through all the trouble just to report two teenage crooks when that guy's wallet had nothing to do with me? I didn't care that he lost his money; it wasn't mine, and that was the important thing."

"Well, thanks for that," said Brutus gratefully.

"Don't have to thank me," Gale responded. "But because I did let you two go you're probably getting why I called you two down here and not somebody else. You're not the only Careers in the school; there's more of them around. But I did you two a favour back them and that was letting you go. I let you two escape with that guy's wallet without even thinking of turning you in. So in a way, what I'm asking is for you guys to _return_ the favour for me."

Brutus and Gale didn't answer; they just kept staring at Gale as he went on talking.

"You're in my debt," said Gale. "And if you two want to keep up this little act you've got going on – going out and stealing people's cash and anything else you can get your greedy little hands on – then you've got to promise me that you'll return the favour. Return the favour and don't say a word to anyone, understand?"

Brutus and Gloss nodded and said together, "Understood."

"This'll be a nice relationship though," Gale went on. "You two get to claim another victim and I get to sit back and enjoy it all while waiting to get the rest of my plan going. So in a way, we both benefit from this, which is why I didn't hesitate to reach out to you. You guys get something out of this too, so I figured you'd jump at the chance to help...and I was right."

"And how long do you think it'll take to crush him?" asked Brutus.

"Hard to say," said Gale, unsure of the answer. "Could take months, maybe longer. But I'm guessing it'll happen a lot quicker than that. Mellark's never known what's it's like to be a victim in school; to walk through the halls and have eyes following you constantly; to get humiliated and embarrassed and never want to have to return to school again and best of all...to feel like he's alone and that he's the only person in the school feeling like that. That's what I want you guys to do. Don't just crush him, but make him the laughing stock of the school; make the entire school laugh right along with you. Do whatever you have to do to make his life hell. And you two are _clever_...I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"So that's our task then?" asked Brutus. "Make Peeta Mellark's life a living hell."

"That's just about it," said Gale. "Hijack his mind and fill it fear and misery and everything after that...will fall right into place."

"I gotta tell you again, though," said Brutus. "That plan of yours is fuckin' brilliant."

"Again, thank you," said Gale with a small smile. "Didn't take me that long to figure it out either. As soon as I heard Peeta would recover and come back to school, I knew what I'd have to do to get him away from Katniss."

"So right now's the calm before the storm, then, isn't it?" Gloss suggested. "Once the calm's over...then the storm begins and Peeta Mellark gets thrown into a world of hell."

"I like that," said Gale, chuckling. "_**The calm before the storm.**_"

He then turned and walked off, with Brutus and Gloss following behind.

"_Just you wait, little fucker_," thought Gale. "_Just you wait till the storm hits and you're thrown right into it_, _head first_..._and left to drown_."


	27. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd take a minute to let you guys know how the story is going right now. It's going good, and though I haven't had a lot of time to work on it (being in university has had a little something to do with that), I have had time to work on a few new scenes here and there.

I know I said I'd have the complete story up by the end of the summer, but I'm not entirely sure if I'll be able to have it all written and edited by then. I've had a number of new ideas which I plan on adding to the story to give it as much depth as I can so although I'm hoping to have it done sometime this summer, I can't make any promises. But if it's not done by the summer, I can promise you it'll be up ASAP. Maybe that means a few months from then or even longer and if that's the case, I hope you don't mind waiting a bit longer! Even though it could be a long wait till you get to read it, I hope the wait will be worth it!

Another note, there have been a few things I've changed within the story to help things overall make more sense. I don't want to give spoilers away, but I will say a lot of these changes have to do with Gale. Let's just say in the version I'm currently working on, there's no way you'd think he was up to anything suspicious, so I hope when you read the final version, that will make sense rather than have him be the first person you'd think was up to no good. That's actually one of the biggest things in the story I'm glad I've changed.

I've also added a lot more in-depth scenes with Ryder and he's been given a much bigger back-story, and will play an important role in this story. I hope you'll enjoy the new scenes I've added with him!

One last thing I'd like to add. There's actually been a completely new aspect to the story I've come up with. It includes a few things from the original series and while some things have been changed from what they originally are in the books, I have changed some stuff. The biggest thing that has been changed deals with the Muttations so my definition of Muttations in this story isn't going to be what is in the original series. Instead of this story occurring during the time of the Hunger Games, it's instead going to be taking place during the time of _something else._ Basically, I've come up with my own horror to include in this story and although it might seem pretty odd and even unbelievable at first, I hope it'll add a sense of eeriness to the story, especially in the much later parts of the story. As for the details of it, those won't be revealed till the end of the story but what I'm ultimately hoping to capture with this is the same fear, grief and scars that came from the Hunger Games. I know that probably makes no sense right now but hopefully once the full story is up, it'll be clearer!

Oh, and I've also decided to add songs to some of my chapters. I thought it could add even more to the story and I find it fun searching for song lyrics that match a particular scene, or parts of a soundtrack that inspired me to write others. Not every chapter will have a song but some will, and some will come from a variety of my favorite soundtracks. Obviously tracks from the Hunger Games will be included ;)

So whether you hear from me this summer or sometime after that, I hope you'll still want to read what I'd like to share with you! I really appreciate all the reviews you provided me with as I was working on the story, and I hope I'll get to hear from you all again!

Until then!


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